Yesterday our school held its annual Field Day, and the perfectly clear weather set the tone for the entire day. I’m not sure I can recall a day when the air seemed clearer and cleaner. The sunlight was especially bright and fresh-looking, and everything appeared to be shining with unusual intensity. I remember marveling, many times, at how vivid all the colors of the clothes looked as the kids raced through their activities and the parents wandered the sidelines. Even the sounds seemed particularly clear. I could hear the laughs and squeals and shouts of the students from far across the field as unmistakably as though they were standing a few feet from me. As I talked with friends and parents, our words somehow seemed distinctive and extraordinary.