in close union with friends, they gain a sharper focus on the realities of life around them. I have come to see that my perspectives on things happening are just that . . . perspectives. Often my perceptions of what someone has said or done, what is truly important in the world, what is the best response to a situation, are woefully inadequate until I have listened to others whom I trust. Only then do I stand on firmer ground about what is “truly true.” An African proverb warns about trying to walk