With all the personal sacrifices, discipline, and pain
that men, women, and children have endured for thousands of years
and that have been preserved in histories and traditions and other lessons
for the benefit of future generations they would never know—

With this tireless, massive, heroic effort of regard for posterity,
and indomitable resilience of the human spirit
in affirming and sustaining people everywhere and in every age
in their struggle to be well and whole—

With all of this: It is one of the most poignant ironies and dead ends
of human existence that you can still think you have to go through most
of the mistakes and the pains and the fears of your life alone and on
your own, in isolation from human social history, with no way out, as
though each one were happening for the very first time.

January 1990

Photo Credits Text: Talarico / Calligraphy: DuBosch / Photography: Bachhuber