why i write

I write because of the surrounding poverty and made up wealthy
Because if I didn’t, all people would stay broken.
Because a sentence in a book can change my life.
Because our thoughts are 5 million stories put together as one.

I write because seeing is believing and sharing is caring
Because my formulated thoughts aren’t good enough
Because paper is my plunger and the pen is my toilet.
Together, we do our job.

I write because I love to follow rules and then break them before our very eyes
Because I love words and meanings and letters and the way my hand can shape them
Because as I learn new things I use them in the wrong way just so I can be corrected
Because for a moment I can control what is said and done. But only a moment.

I write because it truly means nothing at all.
Because my message really only lies hidden deep within my heart
Because I can escape to a place even I dont really know of
Because I can make up anything that is lovely and true

I write because a younger me was told my comprehension was very low.
Because I want to have something to show for myself and myself only
Because I didn’t read an entire book until I was 19 years old
Because ‘The Things They Carried’ makes me stay awake at night

I write because I can be myself and then share her with you
Because I feel as if the world cares for a short period of time
Because ideas are burning and circling around my head as if preparing to explode
Because when I write I can be you or me or someone else

I write because books are an escape and I owe them something
Because I dont want to be famous but long to be known
Because I can process and think and rewind and fast forward
Because I have questions and answers and more questions than answers

I write because I hear of pain and sadness and shock
Because joy and kindness and faithfulness outlast the others
Because of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus and Christians
Because God’s creatures and earth need a voice to be heard

I write because I know I’m not good at it and I long to be better
Because I really have no say in anything at all
Because I shock myself when my pen touches the paper
Because I want to change my own life

I write because I have never written before
Because I was a coward without an Oz
Because I was devout without a place to worship
Because I was sorry I had never given myself the chance

I write because we need to remember the past
Because everyone’s got a story to be heard and understood and accepted
Because babies are dying left and right and their mothers are weeping
Because I need you to know as well.

I write because I still feel like I’m sixteen and forty at the same time
Because I have a new perspective every moment
Because I have so much information up there that its got to go somewhere
Because I want my heart to touch yours


adapted from this blog

i could get use to this.

little poem

Today
alive, well, spoken for
Tomorrow
non-existent, surrounding, creeping
Yesterday
empty, profit, appealing
Always
mine, yours, today

i believe in miracles, since you came along

click on the picture to read about Dolomite's recent adventure.

say cheese

I knew she looked young, but I just couldn't tell why she and 2 other women were carrying Asian babies on the airplane.

So I had to ask.

I walked up to the three white women right after we got off the flight in China and said, "This may sound really weird, but do you all have a blog?"

Lame, I know. I was really uncomfortable about asking outright, "why are you carrying Asian babies" because clearly that would be weird. So instead I opted for the blog route. Everyone has a blog these days, especially infants.

And I was right. The babies do have blogs and tonight as I remembered talking with these women in the airport I searched and found the blog.

These babies are not just any babies. They are orphan babies. I don't know the circumstances or their stories but I know that they have no parents and each of them has a cleft lip.

They were one their way to have surgery funded by Operation Smile. What a beautiful organization. I asked the women to tell me more about themselves because at that point I clearly couldn't keep it together if I knew the babies stories, so they began to share.

They were all volunteers. One of them had been doing orphan work in China for many years, another was a mom from England, and another was a college student. Like it was no big deal the young one said, "yeah, i am just on my summer break so I volunteered to take a baby to have surgery and stay with him in recovery". A college student, from Maine or something.

It was such a brief encounter, but life-changing. I walked away so proud, so thankful, so hopeful that people exist in our world like these women. If this story on June 19th doesn't redeem humanity for you, I don't know what will.

thought

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. -Thomas Merton

happy 4th america

i'm more thankful than i've ever been to be american. may joy and laughter be yours today.

i celebrated by going kayaking with couchsurfers with a 90% chance of rain. and rain it did!

nothing like eating good soft serve icecream from creepy truck guy with foreigners on the 4th of july.

i always picture america celebrating the 4th like they did in the sandlot.
how did you celebrate?

did it make a difference?

Maybe that's not the question I should ask.

Maybe I should ask if I got something from it?

And the answer is yes.




a friend. and a really sweaty back.



Ava went with me and 100,000 other people yesterday to protest.

Ava and I joined other social workers to plead for the rights of the disabled.

Disabled persons have harder times getting jobs, getting around, and getting benefits.

We marched for 4 hours through the streets of Hong Kong chanting, screaming, complaining, laughing and sometimes dancing.

Were we heard?

Maybe. Maybe not. But we stood together fighting for those who might not be able to fight for themselves.




Some critics may say that this protest did nothing at all and the approach was all wrong. And I may agree to a certain extent, but I learned some things as I united with other Hong Kong people to show the government that people are suffering and change needs to take place. People matter. Every last one of them.



There were a lot of causes displayed. It is a time for people to say what they want to the government of HK. You name it (within reason), people were fighting for it.












and the news people were all over it.



been to any good protests lately?

brave soul

Haley has been around the world and back in the last couple years.
following her makes me braver.
take a look at what she is doing now.

years back i remember her telling me about problems with organizations that build wells. she said that often times when a well is built, the org. doesn't do anything to teach the people about proper sewage and waste disposal, therefore it runs into the wells and pollutes the new well water. now, she gets to do something about it.


p.s. we became roommates because of craigslist. and God.