Here’s something I started writing several weeks ago. It was going to be a little self-reflection entry (as if none of the others are!), but life somehow got in the way: (1) being woken up on my birthday by the sound of what we later learned was the space shuttle Columbia exploding overhead; (2) chronic bronchitis that turned nasty and wiped me out physically, especially after marching outside in the cold for two hours in an anti-war protest (photos to be posted soon); and (3) March always turns into “scholarship season,” when several deadlines for funds loom overhead and occupy my time and mind. Nevertheless, enjoy:

My approaching thirty-fifth birthday has caused me to reflect on my life quite a bit. And since the lunar new year begins on my birthday, this day seems much more magical. The past year in particular has definitely been my favorite out of several, making the typically angst and morose Frankie more optimistic about the future than was heretofore believed possible.

Peace to all who inhabit this earth.