STRAINING (October 20, 2000)
It is time to go to sleep. It is quiet out there. The patter of light rain is barely audible through the curtains. If you strain a bit, you can hear the rain-water streaming down the gutter, which runs just above the window of your room. If you strain a bit more, you can hear your own heart, and you can feel the blood pulsing through your veins. The tender rewards of straining just a bit more.