The Manifesto

May 17, 2005/July 1998

As some of you know, my room just underwent a major facelift. Everything I owned had to be moved out and now we are in the tedious process of moving everything back in. I took the opportunity to do some summer cleaning -- and found this: an old essay I was asked to write in my Senior year in college for a philosophy class. In it, we were supposed to come up with our own manifest for how we lived our lives... what we thought we were made of... you get the drift. Seven years later, I find that not much has changed inside my head... so here it is.

i am child of light

the dreamer, sky-watcher

head turned to the brillinace of

the waking world

the setting sun.

poet, dancer

creating from the world

i move in.

I am not random. I will never be mediocre. I will live my life in awe of the universe. I am my most powerful weapon, my most creative tool. My identity and integrity are sacred to me. It is my firm belief that we all matter because we are human, regardless of creed, color, race or religion.

I believe in honesty, even at the risk of losing something. I believe in love and immerse myself in it wherever I can. I believe in friendship - a friend is a luxury gift you give to yourself... and conversely, a gift you give to others.

And I believe in happiness. If you know yourself, see that you are flawed but are okay with that, you can be happy. If you have your integrity and will not back down on the non-negotiables of your life, you can be happy. If you can kick your heels at the oncoming tide and dance barefoot around the edges of your life, you can be happy. Happiness comes to those who pursue life.

*We now return you to the regular broadcast of travel stories... *