To think, to feel, to laugh, to cry;
To consider the boundaries of my own mortality;
To feel the pain of others and reach out to them;
To wish good things for my friends and loved ones;
To have hope for those who do not believe as I do;
To love and, yes, even to hate;
To consider the road ahead and plot the route I want
to travel;
To consider the road behind and learn from its ruts
and potholes;
To count my blessings as I bemoan my misfortunes;
To teach the young to be a better than I am;
To yearn for the best that our world can achieve.
These are the things that make me a human being.
-- Steve Marshall, Little Rock, Arkansas, February 3, 2008