open letter to the good ol' US of A!

Just came back from a jaunt down to the outlets near Seattle. It was a rather uneventful day, punctuated by the incessant rain for almost the entire duration of the trip (and the wonderful sunshine that lit my way home) and my girlfriend's sweet singing:)...(it must have been the all-u-can-eat cheesecake!) It is now abundantly clear to me why her parents urged her to go to university instead of dreaming of a singing career, but I digress:P (I think my life expectancy may have been cut short a few years for writing that, but I did tell her the same thing:P...as some of you may know, I count my tact as one of my strengths!)

But a funny thought struck me as we were lining up to head south at the Peace Arch crossing (some trivialization (is that a word?) ahead)...ever notice all the security cameras?...the 20 meter gap between the stop line and the customs agent?...the incessant questioning?...yada, yada, yada. To be honest, the only reason I want to cross the border is simply because George Dubya is doing such a great job with your country. And the loonie is worth almost 85 cents US...imagine that?!?...I can barely wait until the day it is actually worth a 100 cents:P I can dream, can't I? Think of it this way, if your country were more like Canada...a little bit backwards sometimes...only have two operational naval ships (both on the west coast)...3 submarines...2 of which are in dry dock, under long term "preventative" maintenance...20 years past their scheduled retirement date and purchased for a pretty penny from the British Navy, who would have recycled them for scrap metal otherwise, but once again, I digress:P...mind you, this is not to insult Ottawa...just to highlight a point. If the US were not such a bully on the world stage, whether it be on the military front or UN stage or otherwise...I suspect your country wouldn't be in the cross-hairs of every fundamentalist group in the world.

To be honest, when I came back across the border, heading north...I was proud to be a Canadian...there was only a 2-3 meter gap...the customs agent waved me through after quickly discerning that I wasn't a crazy terrorist trying to sabotage my neighbourhood mailbox. For example, he didn't need to ask me if my third cousin, twice removed, had an elementary school friend who had ever thrown a paper airplane while the teacher's back was turned...the US customs agent felt this need (some exaggeration here, so don't ask me if I am serious:P)...I guess the good ol' US of A has to do what it can the ensure the security of its citizens...my condolences...I am glad my passport has a maple leaf on it...or was that a marijuana leaf?...;-)

what is love?

I will save you the suspense...I don't have the answer! I do have a few ideas though:) Liked some people before, but truly loved very few...up until a few years ago, not sure I even knew what being in love meant. Still may not.

Was reading a friend's post just now...and my girlfriend and I were discussing this tonight too...funny coincidence, eh? Something I read once...it's a perspective that sums up my thoughts better than I could ever do...

Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion…. That is just being “in love,” which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

-Louis de Bernieres

Love for me is about the small, seemingly insignificant, moments...because I believe that those will be the ones that I will never forget. It is not about all the exciting places we go, the things we do...those are simply the "filler"...to be able to be together and not feel the need to say something to fill the uncomfortable silence often felt between strangers...it is truly the little things that matter most, methinks. I could write many more "silly" things to try to impart my feelings...but I will spare you my idiocy:P

Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain.

-Leo Buscaglia

My friend writes correctly...about wanting the best for that person, always thinking about them. I haven't been in that many serious relationships, so many of my ideas are "theoretical" in nature...or maybe idealistic...but I prefer it that way. I think it is better to try to attain one's dreams...and maybe fail in the process...then to give up without trying. So maybe, as with many other aspects of my life, I am not terribly realistic...in my ideas...expectations...but love is one of those things that I do not want to settle for something less than what I wish for. Someone once told me that I may end up being bitter and disappointed...but I think I will be more so for letting that ideal go...

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

-William Blake

have joined the herd... ;-)

Well...finally caved in and bought the best thing since sliced bread...the Ipod Nano:) It really is a marvel...granted, I like my toys, but this is even better than the reviews. Those of you who don't own one...you must, absolutely must, go buy one...mortgage the house, sell your children (just kidding:P)...but well worth it!!! And just a note, I do NOT work for Apple:P

which road should I take?

Another peek into my psyche...:) A friend once told me that I seem to take the high road most of the time...my supervisor tells me that it's the better one to travel. But some days I am not sure...I am human...an old cliche, no doubt...and I know sometimes it is a silly excuse used to avoid taking full responsibility for one's own actions...but nonetheless, I think it is apt in this situation.

There are days I don't want to do the right thing..."the time is always right to do what is right" (Martin Luther King Jr.)...there are also times when I don't want to hope for the best in someone or a situation...but choose to live by the fact that "we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope" (MLK Jr.). And some days, the high road is a lonely one, it is tiring...but travel it, I feel I must. And when I stray, I must find my way back...because it does make a difference...maybe not to those around me, but to me...