My entire life, I’ve been surrounded by animals. When my parents took me home from the hospital thirty-five years ago, there was already a happy German Shepherd pup waiting for me. When we first moved to the Philippines we stayed with my grandparents, who had on their very large property (among other things) twenty dogs, twenty cats, a pen of geese, a coop of doves, turtles, a parrot, and three macaque monkeys. Yes, monkeys. Other kids my age were lucky if their parents let them have a goldfish. I got to hang out with monkeys.

When I die, I hope they use the photo from my “About Me” page, or something similarly silly. I don’t take myself seriously in life, I’d hate to start after I was dead.

I’d always taken denial somewhat literally. When I’d think of denial, I’d think of someone consciously rejecting the truth. Someone making a concerted effort to pretend something.