Feeling Blessed. It is always great to hear from people especially those who I have not heard from in years.
Every once in awhile I receive a note from a friend or acquaintance who I was in regular contact with at some point during my life or had a shared experience that put us together. While I have been away on this sabbatical one the hardest parts is not daily life but the disconnect. There are TV’s to get the news as well as newspapers that are sometimes a few weeks old before they arrive. Phone calls can be made 24/7 and are limited to 15 minutes each with a cap of 500 minutes per month. There is no Internet and since I’m not currently operating a business this is a minor inconvenience. I don’t miss the political divides,gossip and hate that make up a large part of the Internets content. I do miss having a world of information at my finger tips. There is email but only if I have your email address and send you an invitation to correspond can we communicate. Your reading this because a dedicated group of justice impacted people who went thru the same experience post my entry’s online when I email them directly. When someone “snail mails” a card or note of encouragement it means several things. First and foremost they are thinking of me and the times we spent together. In this world we receive instant communication via text messages. When I visited mainland China on business text messages were relatively new. Years later it still amazes me that I can push a button from half way around the world and my kids will get the message instantly. Nowadays when a thought pops into your mind you can react in that moment and then continue on with your day. Those who correspond take the time to put their thoughts in writing, take the time to look up the address to send it and then take the time to physically mail it. It is more than just a passing recollection and that helps to know that I’m not forgotten. It helps to confirm that in spite of my bad decision there are those who see beyond that snapshot and understand the person that I am and always have been. I have grown to be much more appreciative of the souls that have crossed paths with mine. Be it business acquaintances, fellow church members, childhood friends or those that I have traveled with on medical missions to foreign lands there is a part of you that will forever be a part of me.
For that, I am thankful.
