Please Be My Pen Pal

"People who meet you now will never be able to imagine you young.  They can never go any further back than fifty.  It isn’t all bad.  It means now people will think you were always a grown-up.  They’ll take you seriously.” –Andrew Sean Greer, LESS, a novel
Alan and I really enjoy a suspenseful thriller.  We were pleasantly surprised by the film MALICE.  Malice isn’t a pretty word.  It is defined as the intention or desire to do evil.   The cast included Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman and Anne Bancroft.  It premiered here in Los Angeles last week and we recently managed to screen it.  Intense.  I can’t go into detail without revealing the secrets.
And on a more light-hearted non-suspenseful note I received a loving letter from my niece, Lauren, in the mail this week.   It is these heartwarming letters that make me smile from ear-to-ear.  It gives me meaningful purpose.
Oct. 10, 1993
Dear Uncle Mike,
I’m turning 8 this month. 
I can’t wait until my birthday.  I might have a birthday party.  It’s going to be an ALADDIN Birthday.  I want a sleep over. 
On my birthday I wish you could come.  I was going to ask you if you can come to my recital on November 7th.  We have lots of tickets.  I hope you can come down soon to visit.
I love you.  I miss you.
Love, Lauren
P.S.  Please be my pen pal.
Of course, I couldn’t wait to write back.  Smiles.  I love being a pen pal.  I just wish they’d write back again.
Have you ever felt like your life has had purpose, yet you’ve never cared for purposes, and so all your life you’ve been keeping away from the purpose that you’ve always felt your life had?
--Samantha Lucero, LET THE DEVIL WEAR BLACK, a novel