I was very sophisticated when I was 17. When I was 14, I was the oldest I ever was . . . I've been getting younger ever since.

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.

Make-believe colors the past with innocent distortion, and it swirls ahead of us in a thousand ways in science, in politics, in every bold intention.

Our whole way of life today is dedicated to the removal of risk. Cradle to grave we are supported, insulated, and isolated from the risks of life -- and if we fall, our government stands ready with Bandaids of every size.

One has to handle these negative experiences alone. You can't get help from your friends or family. You're finally alone with it, and you have to come to grips with misfortune and go on.