When I was 22 years old and looking at joining the military, I chose the Coast Guard because I believed in the fundamental goodness of its lifesaving mission. Over the next twenty years my career had many twists and turns, and I slowly developed a deep cynicism for the Search and Rescue mission.

Some people would make sarcastic remarks about how we were interfering with natural selection- and there’s a grain of truth in that. But I also know how easy it is for a simple mistake or unexpected turn of weather could take even the most seasoned sailors by surprise.

But that idea didn’t jade me to the mission.

During the course of my career my life had many changes. I met my wife, we started a family, I watched my mother slowly succumb to dementia, and so much more. I spent a lot of time thinking about our mortality and what truly mattered for us and our time here. I thought about all the times people had let us down when my Mom needed help the most. I thought of my own shortcomings- as an officer, as a son, as a husband, but especially as a father. But I also thought about all the kindness, sacrifice, generosity, and compassion we felt during the darkest times.

And I realized that saving lives, however noble a cause, was at best delaying the inevitable. What mattered far more was making good people- and therefore, the most important job I could ever have was to be a good father and raise kids to become good people.

That is what the world needs now far more than anything else- good people doing good things.

Welcome to my project to help create and spread that vision.