Even though the motto of my Residua goes back many a decade, I relish it with equal zeal ever since I have chosen it as worthy of introducing my writing project. “Now that we are brothers and friends,” I read it aloud over and over again, “I would have you know that there is also a story hidden in my life.” Of course, it comes from my favorite book of all times (“The Motto,” February 16, 2006). “If it were written with needles on the interior corner of an eye,” I continue reading the motto aloud, “yet would it prove a lesson to the circumspect.” Yes!

As I was going through the motto a few minutes ago for who knows what time, a question unexpectedly popped up in my mind: if you could, what would you have written with needles on the interior corner of your eye? And I was astonished by the speed with which the answer also came forth: abandon thought at will and remain free from it for as long as you wish. To be sure, it comes from one of the fundamental pieces of writing from my magnum opus (“No-Bullshit Enlightenment,” January 18, 2016). Fifteen words, all told.

The only problem is that it takes quite some effort to master this lesson (“On Liberation,” October 4, 2017). And it had taken me no less than seventy years to come to terms with it, as it were. Out of so many years, the last ten or so had been the most demanding, as well. Be that as it may, though, my motto is right on the money. The story hidden in my life is worth the trouble, no doubt whatsoever. The only question is how many of my fellow humans could be included in the so-called circumspect from the wonderful motto. Roughly one in a billion, I would guess out of hand. Hey, my outlandish optimism never ceases to amaze me!