I'm a believer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

When I was a kid, I was marked by one characteristic above all others. I was a believer. I believed. In everything. Everyone. Every word. Breathing was believing.


I believed in God. I believed in the Pope. I believed in Santa till I was way too old. I believed that I lived in the greatest country on Earth. I believed that being born Irish and American was a major stroke of luck. I believed that no family was better than mine. I believed in Taco Night and eating breakfast foods for dinner. I believed that Ronald Regan wanted what was best for us. I believed that all people were good or wanted to be. I believed that only Brokaw knew the truth. I believed in the transformative power of movies. I believed that E.T. might be real. I believed in the singular beauty of the Queen City. I believed that laughter was the best medicine. I believed that if I listened to Billy Joel's "Travelin' Prayer" enough times, he'd show up on my doorstep. I believed that drugs were dangerous. I believed that Mom's Chanel No. 5 would protect me from evil. I believed that I could read Caroline Kennedy's mind. I believed that the stars above my yellow house were calling me to greatness. That I was born to be a light and that it was my lot in life to shine. No. Seriously. I believed.

Today, I woke up and realized I don't believe in nearly as much anymore. Not really. So, I thought it might be a good idea to write a testimonial or two. To testify. To shout from the rooftops, the Blogspots, that I am still a believer. To look for things that I'm still willing to declare as mine. So, here goes....