Our lives are shaped by many forces over which we have little control. We did not choose and cannot modify our genetic makeup, our sex, race, size, or basic energy level. Our place in time and space was thrust upon us. We were born and raised in city or country, boom or bust, war or peace, freedom or repression, without much say in the matter. We did not select our parents or our grandparents or our brothers and sisters, let alone our aunts, uncles, step grandparents or foster parents or half-sisters and brothers. Our initial religious training and social status were beyond our choosing.…
