You know that scene at the end of American Beauty where Kevin Spacey's daughter's friend asks him how he's doing and he pauses, taken aback, and with a sense of absolute gratitude says, "it's been a long time since anyone's asked me that."? You know the scene? That's how finding this thread made me feel. Moved to absolute gratitude. Your unsolicited interest, so unexpected, made my day.

So in this moment, I'm doing great. And to answer your question in a broader context, well, I've had my dark moments but I'm getting through. There's another movie I love starring Jack Lemmon called The Days Of Wine And Roses in which his alcoholic wife, who's just fallen off the wagon, confeses that she "wishes the world was better than it is." This sentiment of wishing for a brighter life and world, of grappling for something to believe in other than some superficial escape, is a great way to sum up how I've been. But like Jack Lemmon's character, I remain steadfast in my resolve to walk the straight and narrow.

I really hope that what I do here matters to people. Without ego or self interest, I do my best to offer kind words and advice where possible. But I'm just a guy and I never know if what I say matters to anyone. In fact, I'm never even sure if what I say should matter to anyone. So again, thank you, both of you.

Humbly yours.

Cyran0