MY OWN (SECOND) EPIPHANAL MOMENT I was sitting in my apartment on 15th Street between Seventh and Eighth and I thought, “Instead of hanging myself, why don’t I move to Hollywood?” Until that moment my writer’s dreams had all been about becoming a novelist. No other aim existed for me. It was Hemingway/Kerouac/Henry Miller or nothing. Suddenly I thought, What’s wrong with movies? I love movies. I’ve worked in advertising writing commercials. I know what a camera is. I know what a storyboard is. I know what a script is. I’ve failed as a novelist. Why not head west and fail as a screen writer? Writing Seminar, Nashville, 2019 At once a tremendous weight fell from my shoulders. I looked over at my cat, Mo. He was ready to leave New Yo rk too. Within six weeks we had packed and hit the road.

All good things can be achieved only with effort.

Bad things are easy to do, good things are done only with work and effort.

—DHAMMAPADA, a book of BUDDHIST WISDOM

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.

For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

—MATTHEW 7:13-14

The way to true knowledge does not go through soft grass covered with flowers.

To find it, a person must climb steep mountains.

—JOHN RUSKIN

Look for the truth; it wants to be found.

—BLAISE PASCAL

A person cries out from pain when he takes up hard physical work after a period of idleness.

Any rest from the struggle for spiritual improvement brings the same pain.

September 2l

The most important and necessary expression of freedom is to give your thought a specific direction.

Work toward the purification of your thoughts.

Without bad thoughts you will be incapable of bad deeds.

—CONFUCIUS

Everything is in heaven’s power, except for our choice of whether to serve God or ourselves.

We cannot prevent birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making nests on top of our heads.

Similarly, bad thoughts sometimes appear in our mind, but we can choose whether we allow them to live there, to create a nest for themselves, and to breed evil deeds.

—MARTIN LUTHER

It is a sin, not only to do bad things, but even to think about bad things.

—ZOROASTER