I have felt the friction of life…

            When I have been turned down for jobs.

            When I was offered this job and had to decide to take a chance.

            When this job is feeling like a job.

I have felt friction…

            When people I love are in pain and I can’t help.

            When I watched nurses put an I.V. into my brother’s arm.

When my mother looked at me stoically as I eulogized my father.

I have felt friction…

            When I consider myself powerless over our country’s future.

        When my daughter holds a piece of popcorn out for me and I think of how much I want to give her.

        When I feel like the American experiment could have been successful.