We say we want to create beauty identity quality singularity. And yet maybe in truth these cities that we have are desired. Maybe their very characterlessness provides the best context for living.

If my kids are doing well then my life is going pretty well. And if my kids aren't doing well it doesn't matter how the other elements of my life are. It's kind of amazing to have a context like that. This is really wonderful.

I've been going through photos of my mother looking back on her life and trying to put it into context. Very few people age gracefully enough to be photographed through their aging.