LOOKING BACK : The People...

It’s been little more than a year since Joseph Cicippio was released by kidnapers in Beirut, and he’s been on the go ever since. The Norristown, Pa., native has made appearances at countless public events, appeared on TV with other former hostages and is working on his memoirs.

Occasionally, he shows the strain of five years in captivity, but Cicippio is determined to put a positive spin on his new life. He and his wife, Elham, are scheduled to bring 40 Lebanese orphans to Friday’s Rose Parade. Although convention and visitors’ officials in Pasadena are helping to defray costs, the Cicippios have been trying to raise the balance themselves.

“You’ve got to draw on your own inner strength, and do what you think is important,” Cicippio told The Times (View, June 28). “If you dwell too much on the past, it will slow you down in the real life that matters.”

Relatives are concerned that Cicippio is trying to do too much. But he continues a busy schedule, and remains optimistic.

“I was saying to Joe, ‘How are we ever going to raise the money for these Lebanese kids?’ ” says Elham. “And he says, ‘You’ve just got to have faith.’ ”