My name is Steve Sampson, and I’m a would-be wise old wizard.

That doesn’t mean I want to do magic. It does means that, at some point in my life, I stopped trying to be Luke Skywalker and started trying to become Ben Kenobi.

In other words, I went from wanting to be the hero of the story to wanting to be a different sort of stock character–an Obi-Wan, a Gandalf, a Merlin–a guide who helps the hero find her way.

For me, this was a slow transition. It started around the time I first became a parent in 1999 and continued as my three daughters grew.

Finally, in the summer of 2015, at the ripe old age of 44, I realized what had happened to me. For years I’d been collecting various knowledge–reading books, writing articles, swapping stories–without really knowing why. Turns out, I’ve been on a sort of mission all along–a quest to find enough wisdom to help my daughters better understand the world.

The extent to which I’ll ultimately succeed in this quest remains very much to be seen, but at least I’m on the road!

If you care to join me for the journey, feel free to follow my blog or to send me an email. Thanks, and welcome!