When I think about my daughter Laura, everything Ishared with her had been intended to do more than justamuse her. I had wanted to get her to see "life" in adifferent way, and, in so doing, make the world a betterplace, at least her world that is. Part of the "see 'life' in adifferent way" was to get her to realize that we are allessentially prisoners of our moment in history and theculture and weltanschauung into which we are hatched.At the same time, I tended to doubt all people whothought there was a logic or intrinsic meaning behindexistence. I believed everything was what it was andcouldn't be anything other than what it was at anymoment in time, a belief I still maintain and think itspromulgation to be the key to a better world. I tried to get Laura to imagine a world wherein no oneclaimed to know the truth about what life was all about, no one claimed to know what reality was, no one sawhimself or herself to be in a position to judge guilt andinnocence or the why or wherefore of what went on in theworld, and people were finally beginning to realize that iswas very possible that absolutely nothing in existencecould be other than what it was at every moment in time.I wanted her to realize that if people really understoodthis, the world would be a very different place, one ofmystery, awe, wonder, openness, and compassion. I thinkLaura at least got my message. O Earth, how I miss you sometimes...
