The Widening View traces the slow and circuitous trek that leads a young dreamer from the cotton fields of Alabama to the Elysian Fields of Paris, then eventually much further around the globe. Bernard Shaw said it well, "Life isn't so much about finding yourself as about creating yourself." Often that may prove be a haphazard and unpredictable affair. Looking back on the milestone of life, one may be inclined to ask, Did I achieve anything worthwhile? Did I make an impact on the world I came into?