-^-for posterity-^-

we're coming up on the fourth of july and i'm sitting quietly at the jersey shore. there are flags flapping in the wind and people milling around. we're sure to be met by some fire works on the beach, nationalistic songs and the rest. we all need to worship something, i guess.

i'm still amazed with our lifestyles. people work incredibly brutal hours and have little time to spend with friends or anyone else for that matter. we all stay 'in touch' by using our cell phones or anything else that will virtually allow us to hear a voice or read the thoughts of our 'loved ones'. we are all hanging by thin, frayed, virtual strings to one another.

we drive from place to place and spend our money buying things that others make. we spend money in our free time and make money when we're busy. we pride ourselves with what is owned, even if it's not explicitly stated.

i guess i work just as hard as the rest of the mulling population but i've had the opportunity to see the world with eyes that have been skewed for the past two years with the reality of the mekong delta.

well, life will continue to plod along. i've learned to enjoy the small, simple moments. the times when i'm sitting in a small, blue chair. the times when no one is saying anything. the phone calls where nothing is discussed and the sound of the other person's voice resonates deeply within. the times when i sit in traffic, when it's not moving at all. the times when my eyes are heavy and my head is dull.