For no reason, except to not let time pass in silence as we walked to Matilda's school, I said, "Did you know eyes have evolved in animals in many different ways and separately?" I expected, as I heard myself speak, the question to be too complicated, the point pointless, and the short moment wasted on a topic too complex. She replied, "But each animal sees what it needs to see." Amazing what they teach at these schools. "I've seen how bees see, it's funny."
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Last night Melina's brother Herman asked me about my religious beliefs. He was interested to hear what a person that might believe in nothing might have to say about the wonders of creation, good and evil, etc...

I tried my best to keep it simple, to say nothing offensive, to not hide behind rhetoric, but I'm not very good at vague brushstrokes that suggest truth without confusing the issue. Melina asked whether he understood my replies, especially because these things are difficult in any langauge, and we spoke English. I replied, "Not everything." She asked, "Can't you say things simply?" I answered, "No." She said, "No, you can't even tell our kids things simply."

In my quest to map reality, I'm like Borges' cartographers drawing a more and more unwieldy map.