I stepped into this world when the sun was rising on a serene Sunday at the end of the winter, in Bucharest. Perhaps my whole life, beginning on that day at the threshold of the seasons, was meant to be a holy celebration. It hasn't quite been like that, as many moments of that day, the 27th of February 1972, were far from untroubled. It must have clouded over towards noon or evening, who can say. Later on, as I began to understand the world around...