Experience is the Best Teacher

         My uncle Jimmy was something of a country philosopher. He shared his philosophy with me. His tanned face wrinkled into a smile, and he pointed his finger at me.
         "Gayle," he said, "It's true that experience is the best teacher, but I don't have to have all the experience. I can learn from the experiences of other people."
         I think we learn from the things we read in the same way he learned from other peoples successes and failures. If your writing carries that kind of impact it has to carry truth. I don't mean just getting the facts right. It must deal with life, love, people and relationships with integrity in the meanings.