Hello, dear Reader! I'm "hanging out" at the KIA dealership while my car gets ready for my cross country drive from east to west. I was full of ideas of what I wanted to write as I drove here this morning. I also was thinking how the point of these essays is to share some of my hard-earned wisdom. At the same time, it helps to remind me of life's lessons. The word prepare comes directly from the Latin word praeparare, meaning "to make ready beforehand" -- direct and straight