my secret life

A moving passage from Moll Flanders, a book that has not moved me: "Madam, you are a stranger to me, but it is very unfortunate that you should be let into the secret of the worst action of my life." I often wonder about this, but the reverse. Not about whether my friends will ever know my worst actions, but whether they'll ever know my best ones. Strangers are intriguing because of the possibilities for committing extreme good or extreme evil that will never be attached to you. Casual generosity and cruelty. The possibilities for confession are endless, and most interactions with strangers are moments of confession. And as far as I'm concerned, doing good can be as big of a burden on the conscience as doing evil. Everything is easier when repetition isn't expected.