The Wall

On this day in 1961 construction on the Berlin Wall began.  This was the news being broadcast here in Germany today.  What they finally said in a documentary was that long before the Berlin Wall was built, i.e. 1952 the border existed and that people weren't allowed to leave.  The stories are heart-breaking.  Families were divided, children separated from their school friends, all because they lived on the wrong side of town.  It's difficult for me to imagine the fear that had to exist in this time.  Friends whom you weren't sure that you could trust, wanting freedom that would only come decades later, all of these things combined were the evils of the Communist Party.  I am glad that now the wall has fallen and people no longer have to question whether someone will tell the government if they disagree with a policy.

Long live freedom and the right to choose your own path in life....and the friends with whom you share it.

Hello Again!

After being locked out of my account since October I am happy to be able to write a few lines of gratitude to the Google team for helping a very forgetful me find my password and login.  Oh, sometimes it's the simple things in life that make me smile.

Clean Water

Please join change.org's Blog Action Day and spread the word and discussion about the need to provide clean water to the over 1 billion people living in the world who don't have access to clean water.  Let's put our minds together and help the dream of providing the world's poorest people with a basic necessity that the majority of us take for granted a reality.  I can't think of a better cause to get involved in at the moment.  think of all of the possibilities that could easily become a reality if disadvantaged people had this basic necessity.  Join me and help support the UN in this cause.

Missing friend

On May 1, 2008 a close friend committed suicide.  I don't even know what drove her to make a decision such as this one.  She had lost her job as a gynocologist a few months before I met her in May of 2007.  One thing I would like to say about her is that she loved her country.  I was attending the Goethe Institute as part of a summer study abroad program when we met.  It quickly became a routine where we would have a breakfast of bread, fruit and cheese before I ran off to class, then in the afternoons, we would have lunch together and talk about where we wanted to go.  She was so great about taking me places that I would not have otherwise seen.  Stolpen, Sächsische Schweiz , Pillnitz and Chemnitz just to name a few.  On the way to where ever we were going she would tell me the history behind what we were about to see.  It was so interesting to me.  One day we went to the German Hygene Museum to see an expedition called "Deadly Medicine"  it was about the experiments the Nazi's performed on people.  We both were teary eyed when we left.  For me, it was the most wonderful summer of my life.  Exploring Saxony, Germany with someone who was just as excited about the history as I was.  I made a promise to her that I would return as soon as possible.  As soon as possible wasn't soon enough for her.  I would just like to say "Thank you" to her for sharing her time and love for her country with me.  I miss her dearly.

Long-distance Relationships

I met a wonderful man with very clear goals for his life and dreams that mirror my own. He also has clear boundaries and isn't afraid to tell me "no". Most things that are important to me are also important to him. I am happy to have met such a man, as I think they are few and far between. One of the few things we don't agree on is football. He is a die hard Nebraska Huskers fan and I am an Alabama fan. At least he knows the Alabama theme song, so it is something to work with. I think he plans to try and convert me to a Nebraska fan....so I wish him luck with that one. I can teach him some German and maybe I will learn a little Huskers history.

Abortion rights

I am a avid supporter of the right to choose abortion. I am not sure if I could ever actually have one myself, but I believe that every woman in the US should have the freedom to make that decision. I support Dr. Carhart and his mission to ensure that women have a safe and legal alternative to giving birth.
What I do not understand about this issue is that the people who are avidly against abortion will go to any lengths to stop it, even if it means murdering the abortionist and harrassing clinic workers. Yet they use the belief that any killing is wrong to defend their anti-abortion stance. It seems to me that if they are against abortion they would also be against murder, however it is apparent with the murder of Dr. Tiller, that they don't have a problem murdering a doctor in his church.
It saddens me that Dr. Carhart has been named the number one target of Operation Rescue's murdering mafia. I wish that no matter what side of the issue people are on that they could back up and realize that the decision is very private and personal and they should respect that privacy. However, some people never grow up and make this realization.

Friends in Mobile

A truly good friend is one who will play the piano for you over Skype when you need cheering up, or drop you a line just to say that she is thinking about you . I am fortunate to have one of those special friends.

The best part of the story is that now she can play the piano for me in person and leave the sometimes unreliable Skype out of the equation. I am looking forward to the coming week with her and making lots of music and laughter during this time that we have together.