Olympics

Every two years, alternating between winter and summer, I become more of a couch potato than usual. I can't get enough of the games.

Example, one morning I stayed up until 1 AM to watch the men's basketball game and set the phone alarm to wake me at 4 AM for women's soccer.

Jim printed out an 18-page TV guide to every channel every day showing every event.

Videos of travel sites in China take me back with fond memories of wandering around the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square and scrambling along the Great Wall. OK, I didn't scramble exactly, perhaps sauntered around pretending I was watching for marauding hoards of Huns coming over the mountains. No one ever accused me of having a dull imagination.

But that was four years ago. China had been named host of the Olympics and they had already begun to move dozens of families out of areas where Olympic venues were to be built. China wanted to put their best foot forward and began cleaning up their space. They were determined to look good in the sight of the watching world.

The lengths they would go to do this was further revealed this afternoon when it was discovered that the darling little 9-year old singer during the opening ceremonies was really lip-syncing. The real voice was emanating from a very talented 9-year old with an unfortunate overbite. The Chinese did not want her to represent them and so picked a perfect little specimen of childhood with straight white teeth to put in the spotlight.

It hardly merits mention then since it is so obvious that countries and people are very similar in this aspect. People cover up flaws with make-up, clothes, false confidence, braggadocio (just love spell check) lip-syncing or bold lies, hoping that no one finds them out, finds out who or what they really are. Like countries we spend a lot of energy trying to hide who we are so people will think the best of us.

A lot of energy. A lot of wasted energy. And that's what I think about it.

Haiti

Some have asked about the photo at the top of this page. I took it a couple years ago standing on the Northwest shore of Haiti, outside Sonlight Academy. So serene and peaceful, it belies the anxiety and fear that pervades the lives of people in this poorest country in the western hemisphere.

But Haiti has a ray of hope.

Many of the Sonlight graduates come to the United States for college. Most desire to return to Haiti to bring a new measure of optimism to the people there in the form of teaching, medicine, politics.

Some embrace the higher promise of Sonlight Academy, the hope of eternal life. That is the parallel education that students receive as they learn English, literature, history and math. By the time a student graduates from Sonlight they are tri-lingual, knowing Creole, French and English.

As I stuggle along with my English they put me to shame.

That's what I'm thinking about today.

The Measure of Success

John Foster Dulles said, "The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year."

Let's see. Last August I was going through the hassle of applying for graduate school. Not a problem this August.

Last August I was agonizing over taking an over-seas trip. Not a problem this August.

Last August I was trying to get in shape.....wait, wait, now I'm meddling.

The message is, if it's a problem it needs to be addressed. Make a decision. Find a good friend to run some options by. Say yes and jump in or say no with confidence. Although I have heard of some problems just simply going away on their own, many just stick around festering and taking up room in the back of our minds. Those are the ones that wake us up at 3 AM or create tight shoulders or headaches. They pop up unbidden at odd times.

Mostly these concerns take up valuable energy and let's face it, we have a finite amount of that and less as we age.

Anyway, that's what I think about it.

"Snakes! Snakes!"

"Snakes! Snakes!"

As I turned to look everyone began running toward the yelling. Toward!

My first thought, and it was one of pure terror, was to sprint quickly in the other direction.

Let me back up a bit. We found ourselves on an ecological tour to Borneo, my husband and I. Our little lodge was built up from the ground about four feet. Clever, I thought. What a good way to capture what little breeze there might be in this steamy sauna climate and have it circulate around the rooms. Elevated walkways ran from room to room to dining area. Nestled at the bottom of thick jungle walls, the staff fought a relentless battle to keep the jungle from encroaching upon this little piece of civilization.

At the first sound of "Snake! Snake!" Jim pivoted, heading toward the sound. Not wanting to be left behind I quickly followed.

Guests were lined up against the railing of the walkway pointing out into the grassy area over which the lodge had been constructed.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear?

Cobras!

Slithering back up into the jungle for the night. The lodge had been build over a daily migration path used by cobras! Twice daily cobras appeared out of the jungle and then in the evening disappeared back into the jungle.

I slept with my boots on from that night forward.

And that's what I'm thinking about.