MY DYSFUNCTION IS ALL EVEN

This evening I had the opportunity to drive the prairie that gives my state its nickname. Near the end of the drive the moon rose. It was huge and pink and full-looking, and symmetrical. As I looked at it (don’t worry—the cruise control was on), I remembered a discussion with my mama-san back in the day. I was drawing, and she told me that it was not necessary for everything to be symmetrical in my drawing.

Driving through the prairie, I had time to think about this. Lots of time. Actually, nothing else to do but steer. I realized that I do have a problem with symmetry. I have made an affirmative effort to dip my hand in each of the five Great Lakes. I have driven out of my way to visit each of the capital cities of Illinois in a single trip. Extra points if you already knew that Kaskaskia was accessible only from Missouri, since it is west of the Mississippi. I went places I did not want to go to in order to ride each of the T lines in Boston. I have taken unnecessary trips to ride each line of the el in Chicago. I reveled in realizing that I had driven the entirety of I-55 between Chicago and New Orleans. See what I mean?

The one thing I will say about my disorder is that it is extremely well balanced.