Mrs. Miller's

This summer I was at Borders when an old man asked if he could sit down at my table. I was busy reading Utopia for my graduate school class, so I didn't pay much attention to him until he asked me what I was reading. After I told him, he told me about himself. He was a retired professor, was born in Pakistan, and thought that two of the most important things a person could do are to help other people when they need it and aquire knowledge. He also told me that his name is Haqq, which means "truth" in a language I don't speak. It's lucky when we can learn from the people around us. You'll learn from me this year, and I'll probably learn something from you too.

Rather than thinking about this year as the end of your summer, try to think of it as the start of something. At the end of this year you might be someone quite different depending on the path you take. Remember that the hike itself is sometimes better than the destination (ie: "We hiked three hours to see this?"). This year you'll read some things you love, some things you despise, you'll become a better writer, and you'll ponder important questions that great thinkers have pondered for thousands of years. This is just the start. As Confusius once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Grab your things; we might as well get started.