Summertime

Welcome to summer. We're deep in the thick of it, with temperatures near and into the 90s throughout the country. Perhaps it's the summer heat that's keeping me from coming up with interesting things to say. Perhaps it's that I'm really busy with summer activities: volleyball, softball, running, etc.. so I don't have time to reflect. I'm not really sure.
I've already commented a little on current events. I really only have one word: scary.
It's still scary. Israel is trying to balance a fine line between defending itself and destroying it's own self-interest. US foreign policy is exploding everywhere, and domestic policy is continuing it's busy and contentious debates between the rich and the poor, the city and the country, the feds and the state, and of course the liberals and the conservatives.
My own life is going pretty well. My job is good. My family is doing well: my dad is retiring at the end of the month. My girlfriend is still wonderful.
So how do you balance the calm sunny days of my daily life with the occasional rumblings of thunder of the greater world?
Mostly, you can't. You just have to live your life. I remember my parents got married and my dad got his law degree in 1968. It was tumultuous year for the country with the deaths of MLK and RFK, among other things. But, you just have to take each day as it comes and enjoy life as you can. The summer will be over before you know it.

Rambling thoughts on current events

I have a vague memory of October 23, 1983. I remember being in my grandmother's apartment in Baltimore and watching the TV news. The US Marine barracks in Beirut had been hit by a suicide bomber and over 200 marines had been killed.
The memory isn't clear: I was only 9, but I'm certain that I was in Baltimore when it happened. Having the TV on in my grandmother's house was unusual, and the family gathered around it watching the news was also shocking. It was a frightening moment, even if I didn't understand it.
This memory always comes back to me when I'm struck by the violence and enormity of recent events. I feel like that faint memory was an introduction to some of the awfulness of the world. These days, events like that seem almost commonplace. Every day, I wake up to stories of more death and bombs. Then, a few positive developments will come that seem to level off some of the violence until days later, those developments are destroyed. It would be like sitting in front of that television every day.
That memory, of course, has more direct ties to current events. The Americans went into Beirut in 1983, along with a multi-national force, to assist in the removal of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and provide stability and security to the Lebanese government.
Now, violence erupts in Lebanon again between the Hezbollah organization and Israel. Threats of war from both countries are shouted. Calls for international intervention are once again sounded as we all wait and read the news with fear. .
What is really going to happen? Of course, we don't know. Opinions blaming fault and suggesting action abound in the newspapers. The bombings and the casualties continue to mount. Rockets and missiles hit Haifa and Beirut. With each one, the hope for peace that most everyone says they want moves further away.
I'm a hopeful person. I tend to believe that awful things in the world eventually get settled. I'm also fortunate: I've lived in very peaceful places all of my life. I've never had to fight for a right to exist, or for representation or speech, or even just for food. Deep down, I believe we will have a cease fire and Israel will just be in the tense state it's always been in. But what if things escalate? It's a question I don't want to face the answer to.
So now we sit back and wait. We live our lives and just stay awake and enjoy the life we've been given. Every once in a while though, we'll be sitting in front of that TV, holding our breaths, and watching.

Sibling Tour 2006

Last week, my girlfriend and I went on our "Sibling tour 2006". We visited Boston, MA to see her sister and coastal Maine to visit mine. It was a great trip, and a lot of fun for both of us.
What struck us during the trip is the distinct contrast of each part of the visit.
In Boston we stayed in her sister's apartment, a small two-bedroom on the outskirts of downtown Boston. We were in easy walking distance of about 1,000 restaurants, two or three T-stops, stores, and even Fenway park (if you stretch the definition of walking distance a little bit). We ate out almost every meal and spent our days mostly on foot wandering around the city. We even had an excursion to Revere beach on the hunt for a roast-beef sandwich place mentioned in a PBS documentary. It was great.
My sister, on the other hand, lives in a beautiful house tucked on the edge of the woods in coastal Maine. We had plenty of space for the 5 of us (her son, husband, her, my girlfriend and I). We could walk on a short path near her house, but otherwise, anything we wanted had to be in a car.
We hiked in Acadia national park, and climbed up a 1,000 foot hill. We also strolled on a pebble-filled beach and enjoyed the sunshine. We even had a few home-cooked meals.
The contrast definitely shows the pluses and minuses of country life versus cities. I lean to be a city person. I love to walk and enjoy being close to coffee houses, restaurants, and stores. Although I love being outside, I find it comforting to be able to move on my own two feet.
Now, that isn't to say I can't appreciate my sister's choice. Her house is beautiful, and would be completely unaffordable in the outskirts of Boston. Her son will go to a small school, and they can leave their doors unlocked.
It was wonderful to be able to experience and appreciate both lifestyles. We had fun in both places, and I would love to do the trip again. Besides the simple act of seeing my family, the chance to experience what life has to offer outside of your own lifestyle is a priceless opportunity.