o f athlete s o r rescu e workers , o f peopl e wh o ca n g o int o trancelik e state s or
"hibernation, " o f extraordinar y enduranc e exhibite d b y victim s o f natura l o r man-mad e disasters , accounts o f paralyze d peopl e wh o ge t u p an d walk , o f cance r patient s wh o almos t see m t o cur e themselve s or , by forc e o f wil l alone , manag e t o han g o n unti l a birthda y o r favorit e holiday . N o les s striking , perhaps , i s the cas e o f th e unattractiv e woma n wh o come s acros s a s beautifu l merel y becaus e sh e think s sh e is . An individua l wit h littl e talen t wh o become s a Broadwa y sta r o n th e basi s o f self-confidenc e an d energy alone . I hav e personall y encountere d man y patient s wh o hav e don e amazin g thing s the y coul d no t do befor e the y becam e ill . An d her e w e hav ea ma n wh o believe s h e come s fro m a plane t wher e peopl e are a littl e mor e light-sensitiv e tha n w e are , an d b y Go d h e is . A t time s lik e thes e on e wonder s wha t th e limits o f th e huma n min d reall y are.
O N Memoria l Da y m y oldes t daughte r an d he r husban d an d thei r tw o littl e boy s drov e u p from Princeto n fo r a cookout . Abigai l i s th e revers e o f th e unattractiv e woma n I mentione d above-sh e was alway s a ver y prett y gir l wh o neve r realize d it . I don' t thin k sh e ha s eve r use d makeup , doesn' t do anythin g wit h he r hair , pay s n o attentio n t o wha t sh e wears . Fro m th e beginnin g sh e ha s ha da min d o f her own . Whe n I thin k o f Abb y I se e a ki d o f eigh t o r nin e marchin g wit h a bunc h o f other s tw o o r three time s he r age , al l wit h lon g hai r an d flare d pants , flashin g he r peac e sig n an d yellin g he r slogans , seriou s as a kiss . Now , a s a non-practicin g lawyer , she' s activ e i n any . numbe r of women's/gay/environmental/civil/anima l right s groups . Ho w di d sh e tur n ou t thi s way ? Wh o knows ? All o f ou r childre n ar e a s differen t fro m eac h othe r a s th e color s o f th e rainbow.
Fred , fo r instance , i s th e mos t sensitiv e o f th e four . A s a bo y h e alway s ha d hi s nos e i na book , and
a n ea r fo r musi c a s well . I n fact , h e stil l ha s a n enormou s collectio n o f recording s o f Broadwa y shows. W e alway s though t h e woul d becom e a n artis t o f som e kind , an d wer e quit e amaze d whe n h e ende d up i n aeronautics.
Jennife r i s ver y differen t still . Slim , beautiful , no t a s seriou s a s Abigai l o r a s quie t a s Fred , sh e i s the onl y on e o f th e fou r wh o ha s showe d an y interes t i n followin g he r ol d man' s footsteps . A sa gir l sh e loved biolog y (an d slumbe r partie s an d chocolate-chi p cookies) , an d sh e i s no w a thirdyea r medica l studen t at Stanford.
Wil l (Chip ) i s th e youngest , eigh t year s younge r tha n Jenny . Probabl y th e brightes t o f th e bunch , h e is a sta r athlet e i n school , active , popular . Lik e Abb y befor e him , an d unlik e Fre d an d Jenny ,
"hibernation, " o f extraordinar y enduranc e exhibite d b y victim s o f natura l o r man-mad e disasters , accounts o f paralyze d peopl e wh o ge t u p an d walk , o f cance r patient s wh o almos t see m t o cur e themselve s or , by forc e o f wil l alone , manag e t o han g o n unti l a birthda y o r favorit e holiday . N o les s striking , perhaps , i s the cas e o f th e unattractiv e woma n wh o come s acros s a s beautifu l merel y becaus e sh e think s sh e is . An individua l wit h littl e talen t wh o become s a Broadwa y sta r o n th e basi s o f self-confidenc e an d energy alone . I hav e personall y encountere d man y patient s wh o hav e don e amazin g thing s the y coul d no t do befor e the y becam e ill . An d her e w e hav ea ma n wh o believe s h e come s fro m a plane t wher e peopl e are a littl e mor e light-sensitiv e tha n w e are , an d b y Go d h e is . A t time s lik e thes e on e wonder s wha t th e limits o f th e huma n min d reall y are.
O N Memoria l Da y m y oldes t daughte r an d he r husban d an d thei r tw o littl e boy s drov e u p from Princeto n fo r a cookout . Abigai l i s th e revers e o f th e unattractiv e woma n I mentione d above-sh e was alway s a ver y prett y gir l wh o neve r realize d it . I don' t thin k sh e ha s eve r use d makeup , doesn' t do anythin g wit h he r hair , pay s n o attentio n t o wha t sh e wears . Fro m th e beginnin g sh e ha s ha da min d o f her own . Whe n I thin k o f Abb y I se e a ki d o f eigh t o r nin e marchin g wit h a bunc h o f other s tw o o r three time s he r age , al l wit h lon g hai r an d flare d pants , flashin g he r peac e sig n an d yellin g he r slogans , seriou s as a kiss . Now , a s a non-practicin g lawyer , she' s activ e i n any . numbe r of women's/gay/environmental/civil/anima l right s groups . Ho w di d sh e tur n ou t thi s way ? Wh o knows ? All o f ou r childre n ar e a s differen t fro m eac h othe r a s th e color s o f th e rainbow.
Fred , fo r instance , i s th e mos t sensitiv e o f th e four . A s a bo y h e alway s ha d hi s nos e i na book , and
a n ea r fo r musi c a s well . I n fact , h e stil l ha s a n enormou s collectio n o f recording s o f Broadwa y shows. W e alway s though t h e woul d becom e a n artis t o f som e kind , an d wer e quit e amaze d whe n h e ende d up i n aeronautics.
Jennife r i s ver y differen t still . Slim , beautiful , no t a s seriou s a s Abigai l o r a s quie t a s Fred , sh e i s the onl y on e o f th e fou r wh o ha s showe d an y interes t i n followin g he r ol d man' s footsteps . A sa gir l sh e loved biolog y (an d slumbe r partie s an d chocolate-chi p cookies) , an d sh e i s no w a thirdyea r medica l studen t at Stanford.
Wil l (Chip ) i s th e youngest , eigh t year s younge r tha n Jenny . Probabl y th e brightes t o f th e bunch , h e is a sta r athlet e i n school , active , popular . Lik e Abb y befor e him , an d unlik e Fre d an d Jenny ,
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