if you only read one thing today

People write for lots of reasons, and those of us who write anything at all may confirm that indeed, it is because we feel compelled to do so, whether or not we are any good at it. Occasionally the gift, the muse, the energy of the universe and its ultimate intention for all of our small lives coincides in a time and place and person that allow the message to flow free in a beautiful way that others can read, understand, and be uplifted by it. From what I know of him, David Foster Wallace strikes me as a such a confluence of genius and muse, and no I haven't read any of his books (yet!). His story is a beautiful and sad one, and I won't repeat it here. I will only implore you, whomever you are, to read this speech, and see whether even just a bit of it touches you in a place that wants to awaken and experience life in a whole new way.