dénouement

Photographs

My Muse

Michael writes a letter to the reader reflecting on a life that outwardly appears to have fallen short of conventional measures of success. Without the financial security, family, or architectural legacy he once imagined for himself, he nevertheless considers himself rich by a different standard.

Inspired since childhood by Leo Lionni's Frederick, Michael sees his own life reflected in the little field mouse who, while the other mice gather food for the winter, stores up the warmth of the sun, the colors of the fields, and words to describe the providence of the seasons. When their provisions are exhausted, Frederick shares what he has gathered to help sustain them through the winter. Michael has made his own investments in experiences, gathering moments of beauty, wonder, human connection, and unique encounters across nearly sixty countries as well as every state in his own country.

Sharing them now with the reader, he hopes they will inspire others to venture beyond what they already know, to travel as far and as often as life allows, and learn things about themselves they can discover nowhere else.

Conclusion

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
~ Edith Wharton

Whatever these pages become for the reader, Michael hopes they offer something memorable and meaningful enough to make a difference.