Think of me as a jigsaw puzzle. I began with one simple, oddly-shaped puzzle piece, and over time I've accumulated hundreds of pieces of experience and wisdom that have built my character from the bottom up. I find these pieces one-by-one, many times with the help of an expert, and occasionally in unexpected places. It demands great patience and determination, and one bump against the table could ruin the whole thing. I know there’s some grand goal to guide my construction, but the infinite number of possibilities piques my imagination and leaves my mind wide open. I require complex thinking to process. Some people delight in me, and the rest are simply left confused. Sometimes it’s important to step back and take a glimpse at the big picture, to see what I've become and what I’m becoming. Some will think they see some sort of image forming, with a streak of bright hope here or there, but you can never be sure until it’s complete. And from time to time throughout this grand search for new pieces, I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing a few.