This is a collection of poems arranged in approximate chronological order to illustrate the moulding of one's personality, attitudes and motivations from internal and external events, as one grows through the various phases of life.

We come into this world, complex yet unformed. As we experience life through the years, it shapes us and changes us. Throughout this process, there is a desire to control how we are affected by life's forces. We are all engaged in the same process of trying to make sense of our existence and our surrounding environment. Our biological, emotional, and intellectual needs drive us into the company of others, where we share our experiences, insights, wonderment, and the bewilderment of our lives.

We are story tellers.

We share our stories in so many ways: through art, songs, poems, prose, stories, and speeches. We strive to condense powerful emotional experiences into a kernel of beauty and intensity that we hope will act as a catalyst to change people close to us, and then ripple outwards into our communities, and ultimately the world.

We should tell our stories ... we must tell our stories.