What if it turns out that I simply have nothing to offer the world (in terms of writing), and never have had and never will? That’s the question I began my day contemplating. It has been kicking around in my head for a while, surfacing at moments when I don’t have the energy to enter denial mode and start engaging with the list of rationalizations: Never give up. Be true to your artistic vision, work hard, and eventually you will succeed. Success is a daily thing, not somethi

After my four mile speed run/walk, I’m sitting on the front porch cooling down, enjoying the high I generally feel after the exertion stops. Something pops into my head and I note that it’s a thought I’ve had kicking around for a while now. What, I ask myself, would constitute the moment of peace and happiness I crave? Usually my mind wanders, coincidentally now, to a front porch, but at a time in my childhood, in the cool shade, with a collection of small toy airplanes or ca