Considering that my last meditation, so to speak, was all about looking forward and not backward, it is a bit awkward to observe that I’ve spent a great part of the last few weeks digging through old files and papers in the vain hope of bringing some order to the flotsam that has accumulated during the past forty years. I am happy to say that I have so far managed to stave off the inclination toward hoarding that was once my mother’s secret indulgence, but there are still a few …