Beth, I hope as well for the long shelf life. We seem to keep at it, anyway.

Fresca, thanks for the quote from dear Augustine. I think he and Socrates might have gotten along capitally. And I admit to loving those inner peaks and vast waves and galaxies.

My favorite representative of the tribe of “over-thinkers” is Saint Augustine, whose “Confessions” is an exploration of his motives for youthful actions (he wrote it ten+ years after the events described).

He would never label it negatively like “over-thinking” of course! He sees the power to philosophize and employ memory as a great and good gift from God to humans and pities those who don’t have much of it:

“”The power of memory is great… It is a vast and infinite profundity. …This is my mind’s power… but I cannot grasp the totality of what I am. Is the mind too restricted to compass itself…?

“This question moves me to great astonishment. People are moved to wonder by mountain peaks, by the vast waves of the sea… by the revolutions of the stars. But in themselves they are uninterested.”

I just read your guest piece at Relief’s editor’s blog. Wonderful.

I’m with deb — can’t wait to read your memoir.

I like to think of us writerly blog types as meandering, reflective voices in a sound bite world, and that (hopefully) we will all have a long shelf life. . .