Every Name Counts.

I am victim 13045.

www.humanrightsfirst.org/hope.asp

This is a webpage for a campaign against the genocide in Sudan. It has a petition that you can sign, asking the UN to step in and intervene. The goal is to have a signature that represents every person that has been killed. About 200 000 signatures are required.

If you are unaware of the situation, the website has a good summary of what's going on over there. But in brief: men are being killed and women and children are being tortured. Millions of people are displaced from their homes.

Why not take a minute out of your life to put your name on something that could make a difference?

Living, Laughing, Hurting, Growing.

I once heard it said that resisting peer pressure was to resist the very thing that makes us human. We are intensely relational creatures - designed in such a way that we influence (and ARE influenced by) one another, intentionally or unintentionally. It got me thinking, how different would life be if we all lived out of that awareness?

Sounds omnious, and maybe even condusive to paranoia, but I really think it could be something beautiful. We might realize that focusing on one another's needs would help us to develop healthier relationships of every kind. We might see that some people aren't able to relate in ways that aren't damaging. We might even learn that life isn't just about ourselves all the time, even with all the struggles that each of us go through.

I was reminded of these things today. I hope that I'll be reminded more often. After all, relationships and interactions are the most lasting things that we carry with us, no matter how short-lived or seemingly insignificant. Maybe I can't change all the crummy stuff I notice all the time, but I know I can make a conscious effort to be a positive influence in some way to someone.

... and knowing is half the battle.

There and Back Again

I'm anxious for another adventure. I wasn't able to go away during March break this year, and it made me realize that it has been well over a year since I've had a proper vacation where I've packed a bag and left the city for a while. When did I start pretending to be a grown-up?

Nostalgia took me back to some pictures from my not-so-recent excursions...

I watched this street actor/mime in Rome for several minutes while he stood completely still, with no expression on his face. Eventually, an adorable little girl ran up to him, gave him a huge grin and reached up to him with her hand. He broke his stony facade for a moment to bend down, shake her hand, and give her a gorgeous smile.

I had never been in a ballroom until I visited this one, at the palace in Prague. Sarah and I attempted to waltz across the floor, until a staff member asked us to stop. Apparently the floor isn't as sturdy as it used to be.

Notting Hill, London, England.
The Grand Canal in Venice was as spectacular as I had expected. It definitely wasn't as stinky as I had been warned it would be. My gondolier's name was Francesco. He didn't' sing.
Michelle and I (plus Sarah, behind the camera) in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I would give almost anything to be sitting on a sunny, sandy beach right now.
Innie or outie?

Coming soon...

I can't even tell you what to expect, since I have barely any idea of what I'm doing. Just now, it took me a while to get this thing to even post the right time. A sign of things to come? I guess we'll have to stay tuned...