All of us, at one time or another, walk through our days in a bit of a slumber. It's easy to do and understandable. Children, jobs, unkindness and injustice tend to weaken our resolve to live vibrantly. Most of my life I have struggled with the duality of my inner world and the demands of outside realities. It is with gratitude that I have lately noticed less of a dissonance between those two worlds. Even at middle age, I still find glimmers of the bright-eyed boy I once was. I think, in part, it results from disruption. Changing jobs, changing cities, living out of a suitcase and drinking wine out of a box tends to encourage reflection. I suppose you could say I am a late bloomer. I am humbled to see that - in spite of all the naïve, foolishness of my 20's and 30's - there really are second chances for dreams. What I always wanted was to be real. And like the Velveteen Rabbit, I have learned that it is the wear and tear of life that has worked this in me. ...