Welcome, Ven a gozar!

I was happy for vacation during Christmas, which was half of our holiday season. I was so busy enjoying Christmas for a change, I never had a chance to think about it. It’s behind me now, and it was nice as it lasted. If you read my blog you read some of my frustrations as well. What prompted my blog, is one of the things I am grateful this week.

When I was a child we would get rare phone calls during the holidays. Usually Christmas, New Years, and Easter were the big days. People from out of town would lay down a few dollars to call our house, extend holiday greetings, and do a quick catch up on life since the last phone call. That was back when a phone call like that was a few hours work by someone to pay for the talking.

As a teenager, it was great fun to pick up the telephone, and ask to be connected with an operator somewhere in the United States. Once connected I would make a few seconds of small talk, and then end the connection once they caught on to me. That was about as big as my world was at the time, somewhere in the States.

With computers, there are very fast connections to all over the world. I have spoken with people in Denmark, Germany, England, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and Canada as easily as you are reading this. All it took was a little daring on my part, and a lot of patience on theirs. We traded thoughts, and hello’s, sometimes even simple conversation, even in their native languages! Written language seems to have commonalities that spoken language does not.

Now with blogging, my world is even a smaller place. No longer am I reading, and sharing one line messages, but reading and sharing complete thoughts, ideas, and concerns. I am grateful for this opportunity because every year more countries and people are online and sharing. When I read something that was written, I can focus on the ideas.

I have the opportunity to share ideas, and concerns in my life. When reading and posting, it does not matter how many areas of our lives are different, or how little we have in common, what happens is we start enjoying what we do have in common. We start to see and understand, that under all our layers, we are people. We want the same things for the most part.

I prefer a life that can be lived in peace. I want my family, and children to be safe. I want a comfortable life where I want for nothing important. I had always felt that deep down all people wanted the same basic things for their lives, but the internet has made it possible to know how alike we really are. It was odd at times when I would be trading messages with someone when their country, and mine were having problems, sometimes small, sometimes not so small. But both of us, one sentence at a time, reaffirmed to the other we wanted peace to prevail over all else. What a warming thought that was when it happened knowing that perhaps our country’s disagreed, but we were the same, and wished for the same things.

Which brings me to you. I am grateful you take the time to read this, and learn a little about me in the process. It does not really matter if you are down the block, or around the world. I am grateful you are here. Hopefully we share the same wants for ourselves, our family, the world.

Because others like you taken time with me, I have learned a lot about you too, and I enjoy the idea that such good people like you are out there. I hope we can continue to make the world smaller, and a better place for us all. Thank you for your time, for learning about me, and for being you!

Comments (2) Jan 11 2008