unexpected wisdom

But you're a writer. You can describe anything. That's what you do: pictures to words, events to words, words to even better words. -Wake

Subject...Anything

(this message was composed on Mon, Feb 9, 2004)

Dear FutureMe,

This is your 21st birthday...I hope you are doing something fun; have had a piece of writing published somewhere; have some close friends you can touch; are at college; are happy and healthy and confident; and have started something that will change the world.

Love, me at 19.

no titles tonight

"'All I saw was a scared little girl afraid to leave her life because she doesn't know her way around yet. It's really not that bad, now is it.?' "

• THE FAVORITES
  Merriam-Webster recently asked on its Web site, http://www.m-w.com/info/favorite.htm, "What are your favorite words?" Below are the top ten submissions:
  

1. defenestration (!)
2. serendipity
3. onomatopoeia
4. discombobulate
5. plethora
6. callipygian
7. juxtapose
8. persnickety
9. kerfuffle
10. flibbertigibbet

• Greatest achievement to date: getting my family to find Queer Eye as funny as I do.