Make a list of the things in your life that are most important to you, and then give them a value on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest and 1 the lowest. Next, categorize them. For example, you might use the categories of material and non-material things. What does this list tell you about your own value system?

Write a poem about a photograph from your childhood. What does the poem tell you that the photo does not, and vice versa?

Research the doctrine of non-attachment in Buddhism. How does it apply to Howe's poem?

Free write about some of your strongest memories from childhood. Next, talk to some of the people who were part of those childhood events, and ask them what, if anything, they remember about the same event. Write an essay exploring the differences between versions of the events...