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Extraplicity - A multiplicity of anything, plus something extra. Something extraordinarily diverse.
In my life, I have concentrated heavily on the idea that we as human beings should strive for excellence in
everything we do. If we did this, many of today's problems would be greatly minimized. It is our lack of diligence
and fortitude that has brought about the inevitable consequences to our society.
The term "Renaissance Man," or "universal genius," was used in the past to describe a person who was
knowledgeable about so many different subjects as to be said to know everything. While it is impossible to know
everything, or even a small part of everything, even more so today than it was then, the terms refer to a person
who has learning so vast as to seem to know everything. The most noted example of a Renaissance Man is Leonardo da
Vinci, artist and engineer, who designed technological devices many centuries ahead of his time.
Until recently, it was never suggested that a woman could ever fit that definition. I am now suggesting that
not only can we, but we must.
What is a Renaissance Woman?
If we as women will concentrate on developing our own skills, capacities, knowledge, appreciation for beauty,
self-respect, ethics, and other positive qualities, we will have the tools we need to deal with temptations that
will lead to heartache, disease, and unwanted pregnancy. We will not be seeking questionable liaisons with men who
lie to us with sweet and honeyed terms of endearment for the sole purpose of taking advantage of our bodies, nor
will we tolerate a marital relationship that is so abusive that we will not welcome all children conceived in it.
We will have the capacity for equality, achievement, and liberty. If men can be inspired to become Renaissance
Men, they will not be seeking their pleasure at the expense of others, but will, instead, find pleasure in
learning, creating, and achievement.
In my life, I have pursued learning, the gathering of information and knowledge in many different fields, and
have sought to inspire and inform others. I seek to teach others to appreciate beauty. Central to my life is my
relationship with God, and I attempt to inform others of what I regard as the very basis of Renaissance
Personhood, which is belief in the God Who made the universe, and Who made us to be excellent and well versed in
many fields. I hope to inspire people to become, insofar as possible, the people that God intended them to be when
He made them. One of my earliest projects on the internet was to make available the Gospel message in as many
languages as possible, through a small selection of Bible verses. At present, I have 140 languages online.
Each of the people who do business through this web site strives to be a Renaissance Person.
Pat. I am the webmistress of this web site. My many interests include pro-life feminism, politics,
religion, apologetics, cults, homeschooling, Down syndrome, martial arts (I have a second degree black belt in
taekwondo, and I teach), music (I play four musical instruments and sing), languages (I read 15), ethnobotany,
law, fiber arts, ceramics, drawing, midwifery, swimming, mountain climbing and hiking, collecting rocks,
composing, science fiction, the Asian game of Go, and traveling; in short, I am interested in just about
everything. I am one of two cofounders of Feminists
for Life. I have seven children.
Maribeth. Maribeth has seven children, has homeschooled, is interested in art and music, herbology and
midwifery, photography, is an artisan with her own small business, and speaks Spanish as well as English.
Becky. Becky is interested in genealogy, memory scrapbooks, advocating for special needs people, the
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, parents' support groups for people with disabilities, computers,
needlework, art, photography, medicine, traveling, especially by train, and animals. She plays piano and organ.
She is also interested in just about everything.
John. My husband, John, is the founder of CompuServe. He has a PhD in electrical engineering. He has a
wide variety of interests, including amateur radio, model train layouts and radio controlled model trains, science
fiction, space exploration, classical music, photography, religious cults, cultures of other lands, and plays the
Asian game of Go. His expertise in computer programming includes the ability to learn a new programming language
in days, and particular expertise in computer networks, security, and operating systems.
Each of us brings to our art the attitude of excellence. For us, art is beauty. It is inspirational; it uplifts
the spirit. Art can also motivate people to address the injustices of society. Art is never nihilistic or ugly.
The attitude we bring to our work is to produce something of lasting value. It is in this spirit that we seek to
earn a living.
I hope you enjoy this web site, and find it informative and inspirational. If the only thing you take away from
this web site is this one idea, I hope that you will be inspired become a Renaissance Person. If so, then we will
have accomplished our purpose.
My personal web site, the first one I ever designed, can be found here: Seghea. It includes extensive information, including information on Pro-life Feminism
(as the cofounder of Feminists for Life, I had some rather unique material to put on my site, including my
testimony before the United States Senate), a section on religion, including the basic Gospel message in 140
languages, a section on martial arts, including philosphical writings and information about our five children and
myself, each of whom has earned at least a recommended black belt, and some information about my taekwondo
instructor, who is, in my opinion, a Renaissance Woman, information on Down Syndrome (yes, you CAN inspire and
teach children with Down Syndrome to be excellent, Renaissance people), an extensive art gallery, mostly of my
earlier works (which will be culled and updated when I have time), information on music, including information
about two of our children, two of the six who excelled in music, together with an article about Tucson Junior
Strings, a section on Iraq, including photographs taken by our youngest son Victor, and his chaplain, while
serving in the Army in Iraq, information on a wide variety of political topics, information on ethnobotany, and
much, much more.
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