West Palm Beach, FL
Dated 18 April 2023 Anno Domini
Mr. Fahrenheidt,
Your letter finds me well, and I hope you can say the same. Weather is beginning its slow march towards unbearable heat and I really must find better clothing to cope.
Anyway in regards to your last letter, it finds me at a tender point in what some call our journey, feeling the tide going out on my ability to accomplish anything.
It is a curious thing, the wild swings that go through the mind in regards to what we can accomplish here, east of Eden. As I look out on the mighty Atlantic I feel at the helm of the empire, and yet I know intimately just how powerless I am in this present trial.
Florida has a sort of vital energy to it that I have not yet determined the legitimacy of. This place is drawing money and manpower into itself, at an alarming pace. I cannot ascertain who is behind it, certainly not our ambitious but technocratic governor. No, something else is behind it.
But back to the matter at hand. I’ve become convinced that the entire idea of a mass movement has been one of the most arresting ideals of our age, certainly of our generation. We desire desperately to make a difference, be a part of something that matters, but failure after failure of right wing mass movements begin to take their toll. No, I am convinced there is only one way, the way of personal excellence, of brotherhood and personal relationships. The lure of a mass movement is the call of a siren, and I’m ashamed to say how far she has led me, though certainly not as far as some.
You and I are not Imperial officers, which is what this civilization once marked us for, and which may I say we would both be supremely competent as. We are, however, still breathing, still bearing the imprint of a thousand generations before us, their excellence, their trials, and their strength. We are their standard bearers, and this is enough, for now.
Anyway summer is almost here so hopefully my characteristic melancholy will be stifled under the beach trips, cookouts, and bonfires I look forward to doing with my friends and family. I pray my letter finds you in your usual state of insatiable optimism I so appreciate.
Sincerely,
Grant W. Brooks
P.S. I recently discovered an ingenious recipe for some very tasty lemonade, and hope to share it with you before the summer is out. I hope property development there in Orange County is not so out of control as it is here.