Travels with AI

In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck sets out in 1960 on a roadtrip to Discover America. He and his dog, a large poodle named Charley, traveled 10,000 miles in a camper. The camper was named Rocinante after Don Quixote’s decrepit but faithful old horse. I, too, am about to embark on a journey to discover my beloved country. My wife needs a break.
Steinbeck discovered that America was a place of both incredible warmth and kindness, but also a place of prejudice, distrust, and bigotry. I expect to find the same.
America has rearranged the deck chairs, but the same existential dilemmas still drive us. We still recognize the better angels amongst us, but the winds of change and the knuckleheaded identities we have adopted and somehow cannot jettison work to push our ship into random icebergs.
For my journey, which starts in two weeks, I will be channeling Cartophilus, the wandering jew, formerly Pontius Pilate’s doorman, who mocked Jesus on the road to Calvary and was condemned to wander the earth until the second coming. When I say Pontius Pilate, you will not be far off by picturing President Donald Trump. I am honored to be a humble doorman in the service of my country at this time and such as it is. Should an authority figure tell me to jump, I will jump and then ask, “how high?” Will I find a figure to represent Jesus in my travels? We’ll have to wait and see.
In Cartophilus, we find a historic or a mythical figure, as you choose, who got caught up in the moment and has had many lifetimes to regret it. I suggest to you that my story is much the same.
Having no current affiliation to any religious organization, Judaic or otherwise, I extend in advance my apologies to those who may have formulated religious associations and possibly religious doctrines. I have no such agenda. By drawing on Cartophilus, I mean only to imply a simple man caught up in the web of time.
My decrepit horse is a 2011 Honda CRV. I will leave my pets in the custody of my wife and reliable family members. My companion, soon to be everybody’s companion, will be AI!