Who am I?

I am nobody; I am neither important nor significant.  I happen to be another guy on another website writing another post about another topic.  However, I enjoy writing and will write nonetheless; and by the grace of God something of importance might reach a fading soul, providing a glimmer of hope.  I’m sure I have plenty of good ideas and plenty of bad ideas.  Hopefully the Lord will grant me enough discernment to only speak my good ideas.

My thought is state the cliché: “Well that’s enough about me, what about you?” to fake humility; but seeing this is the “Biography” section, looks like your stuck with me!  My name is DJ Barker – The Blue Collared Philosopher.  The name was granted to me by several young men (including my brother, Samuel Barker) attending Oxford as foreign exchange students from the U.S.  In the damp basement of a terraced house built in the 1500s near the corner of Cornmarket Street and St. Michael’s Street in Oxford England, four young men discussed existential conundrums in the universe.  A moment later someone asked me about my job; at the time I was a concrete finisher for a company in Grand Rapids Michigan; UIS Concrete.  A fantastic company with a good sense of comradery.  Upon realizing my academic pursuits as a History and English student were mixed with a concrete worker, the name was birthed: The Blue Collared Philosopher.

The title seemed fitting since it describes a good portion of my life.  While studying at Grand Valley State University for B.A., many students and teachers asked me why I bothered with school when I had an “adult” paying job.  In the concrete field, fellow employees would ask why such a “smart guy” was shoveling in the dirt.  Often, I’d make up some short answer to alleviate their interest; but the answer hasn’t fully revealed itself to me.  Day and night, I have asked myself the same questions.  In the core of my being there is an idea that still burns: I can do more.  That idea has set me on quite an adventurous life to experience the fullness that life has to offer.

Currently, I am self-employed.  A friend and I have a little concrete business in Charlotte, NC, called Neighborly Concrete.  Trying to grow a business has been a struggle.  My respect for business owners has increased tenfold.  There is no shortage of struggle with running a business; even a fledgling one like my own.  My wife is Leanna Barker, who is quite the talented baker if you have a sweet-tooth, and we have one child, Conrad Elijah Barker.  They are God’s blessings to me in a life of struggling.

May you be blessed by my writings and feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

– The Blue Collared Philosopher