John—have you ever wondered where you’d be if you hadn’t done that police thing first? Say, you went straight from school into art, full throttled, grabbed an MFA and moved to the Village with canvas and paint? Would your art be missing something? Your writing would; the stories mostly go back there.

I was miserably sure I’d never get out from under back when I started in architecture. Got a degree from an important college and thought life would be free sailing from there on in. Funny how that didn’t happen. What is it about mistakes that matter more than successes? Like burning a hand on an open flame, sometimes you even learn. Some of us really need that two-by-four to clarify things. Of course, I’m only speaking for myself… ah, an eagle just flew in across the lake; I need to go watch.