I want to preface this by saying that I am not very religious at all, those of you who know me, know this. Those of you who don't, I am telling you now. I wanted to add more to this disclaimer, but I cannot think of anything suitable that would praise the people who affect me in the best ways possible, so I'm just going to transcribe a passage from the bible that was written in a letter last summer from my dear friend Jonathan. Take from it what you will.

James 1:22-25
do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. do what it says. anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. but the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it he will be blessed in what he does.