Not, as Sarah Palin says, that it was "shining," but that it could not be hidden. The latter half of this Harper's article is enlightening on how her conception of American exceptionalism is really just a form of idolatry. Self-criticism is needed if we are to exemplify righteousness....

So I've been back to work for over a month, and it's just not the same as it was. Basically, I feel like I'm struggling to get things accomplished. I just don't think like a programmer anymore. I'm not sure what I think like. I want to turn inside myself, and turn inside out, and see the colors that explode and smear, emotions and motions upoh the screen. I worked for too long like a left-brained person, and denied a significant part of myself. It was inevitable that I would be knocked off balance once again. Now I need to rediscover my center....