It terrified me to have an idea that was solely mine to be no longer a part of my mind, but totally public.

Our lives are given meaning by our actions-accomplishments made while we are "here" that extend beyond our own time.

I saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial not as an object placed into the earth but as a cut in the earth that has then been polished, like a geode. Interest in the land and concern about how we are polluting the air and water of the planet are what make me want to travel back in geologic time-to witness the shaping of the earth before man.

war is not just a victory or loss ... People die.

Some of your teachers are actually closer in age to you than you think.

I deliberately did not read anything about the Vietnam War because I felt the politics of the war eclipsed what happened to the veterans. The politics were irrelevant to what this memorial was.

You should be having more fun in high school, exploring things because you want to explore them and learning because you love learning-not worrying about competition.