A long time ago I was given the opportunity to travel the world and have since believed that no westerner can be truly educated or grateful until he or she has traveled widely. I've now added to that the belief that no person can truly live life fully until after being broken and reduced to nothing. I'm not sure if its the process after which there is value or if its the nothingness that reveals the valuable which was obscured before by all that was opposite of the nothing. Wouldn't it be ironic if nothing is really everything? Maybe the ascetics had it right. If I live long enough to find out I'll let you know.