Growing up in the DC Metro Area, there is a lot of focus on career, wealth, power, and status.  Never really fit in.  Would end up living in other high pressure cities (Philadelphia – the heart, Boston – my all time favorite, NYC – the killer).  Also smaller places (Bloomington Indiana; the Twin Cities, North Carolina; Vienna, Austria).  

But this is what I treasure the most in my life.  So little to do with professional and academic achievement, money, titles, etc.

Hot summer nights with my radio

Laughing with my students

The thousands of miles driven across the country (46 states)

Cooking for people I loved (especially Malaysian food)

Gritting my way through drug neighborhoods, correctional facilities, court, the horrendous cases

Studying and practicing strategy

Fighting back

Taking care of those others didn’t want to

Standing up when no one else would

Somewhat ok with being different and difficult

Large scale internal affairs

Sitting with my fellow DAs and the cops

The pets

The friends

The mentors

The shield

The NYPD hat

The red guitar

Faith, love, and hope all battered, but intact