What Steve Jobs didn't let his kids use...

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This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but Steve Jobs didn't let his kids use Apple products very much. In fact, in late 2010, Jobs said his kids had never used an iPad! You can read more about it here and here.

What do you think?

I think most people would agree that everyone uses electronics far too much, but to hear that the creator of the device that I am currently typing on (and the smaller one that is playing music right next to me) limited the use of these greatly, really changes my perspective. At the same time, how could I cut back my usage? Yes, not be on the phone when I'm talking to people...but aside from that, our society is so technology based that I'm not sure how those of us wanting to cut some tech devices out could keep up.

How much do you use your phone/computer/tablet/etc? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. :)

News Flash: Mine strikes in South Africa

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Today, miners of South Africa's platinum mine belt returned to work (or tried?). For the past couple years, on and off, miners have been striking for hirer wages and better benefits. As negotiations are difficult and costly, it has often taken a while for any agreement to be made; and during the process, those miners who would like to return to work are often faced with lethal intimidation by those who do not want to accept the offers made in negotiations. This week alone has seen at least three people who tried to return to work killed and six others stabbed. Today, buses were arranged and police stationed around the mine, to protect those who tried to return today.

It is an extremely costly strike. Mine companies are said to have lost R14 billion in revenue (roughly $1.3 billion USD) and miners: R6 billion in wages (roughly $580K in USD). But more importantly, individuals are losing the ability to feed and provide for their families, as they face the choice between going to work and potentially being attacked (even killed) by those who refuse to accept the union's deals, or not showing up for work, receiving no salary, but protecting their own life. Many people argue that these types of events are the very things that will prevent South Africa from continuing to grow and from becoming a fully developed country.


What do you think?

Should striking be legal at all?

When does the opinion of the masses outweigh the value of one person's decision/right to make their own choice? Does it ever?

Does the right to strike enable or hinder the ability of a country to grow?


I'd love to hear your thoughts.

News Flash: South African Elections

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Today, South Africa holds its fifth democratic elections in its 20 year history as a democracy. The day has been declared a public holiday so that everyone has the opportunity to vote.

It's a big election as many people are not happy with the current ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), and it's leader, Jacob Zuma. Our media here in SA, has been filled with stories of how Zuma has used about R200 million of public money for upgrades on his private home (that's about $20,000,000). In a country that has an unemployment rate of 25.2%, I'm sure you can see why that has sparked quite a bit of outrage. But people are concerned that most people will still vote for the ANC just because of it's history (being the party that Nelson Mandela was apart of when he became South Africa's first democratically elected president), rather than thinking about the candidates and party as a whole.

Regardless of the specifics of this election, it's fascinating for me to live in a country where the right to vote for all people is relatively new, after growing up in a country where I've never known anything different. I know that I don't truly appreciate the privilege, since I don't know what it's like not to have it. But watching those who do appreciate it and proudly exercise the right is so inspiring.

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Thank you, South Africa, for reminding those of us who also have the right to vote, of what a great and powerful gift it is!

News Flash: Pulitzer Prize winners

This week, the winners of the Pulitzer Prize for 2014 were announced. The Pulitzer Prizes, if you don't know, are extremely prestigious awards in journalism, writing, drama, and music. They're like the Oscars of writing. Past recipients have included the likes of John F. Kennedy, Robert Frost, and The New York Times.

This year, The Washington Post and Guardian U.S. won in the public service category for their coverage of the documents leaked by former government contractor, Edward J. Snowden.

The Boston Globe won a prize in the breaking news category, for their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. The New York Times also won a photography award for their images from the bombings. As this April marked the one year anniversary of the bombings, and because Boston has such a special place in my heart (which you can read about here and here), I thought you might like to see a few of the images.

Love from the Southern Hemisphere,
Ellie

// All images from The New York Times //

News Flash: Pro-Gun Law in Georgia

Since a part of this blog is focused on current affairs, I figured I needed to do more each week to feature what's going on around the world. I'm still working on exactly how information will be presented, but one way will be "News Flash". In this feature, I'll highlight something going on, somewhere in the world, that I think is relevant, important, or just noteworthy. Hope you enjoy and that it gets you thinking about things going on "out there".


Did you know that Georgia is likely to almost create a law that will allow people with weapons permits to carry a loaded gun into a bar, in public areas of airports, and will allow school officials to appoint certain staff members in schools to carry guns? You can read about it here.

The bill does stimulate that those carrying a gun into bars may not be served alcohol, but it does not say how this will be enforced. It also says that the purpose of staff members carry guns in schools is to protect children if there is an intruder.

The National Rifle Association, which has been lobbying for the bill, said that the bill is a "historic victory for the second amendment."

State Representative Rick Jasperse, who originally sponsored the bill, said that this issue of allowing people to carry loaded guns in public areas is a "private property issue".


My questions:

- Does someone's right to own private property (in this case, a gun), supersede someone else's right to live (since that is what is at stake here)?

- How will this actually be enforced in bars? And who is going to go to a bar, announce that they have a gun, and request that they not be served alcohol?

- Why does anyone need to carry a loaded gun? (Side comment: I live in country that is usually considered far more dangerous than the US…we have a wall taller than I am surrounding our house, with an electric fence on top...and I have never felt the need to carry a gun or even own one.)

- Am I missing a benefit to this bill?


What do you think? Thoughts?

Amiable comments only, please. :)

Wild South Africa

I live in South Africa; at the bottom of the continent of Africa, 7,357 kilometres from Antarctica (or 4,571 miles).

It is an incredible country. There is so much ethereal beauty and an immensely deep history. South Africa has mountains, beaches, vineyards, bush...great white sharks, black mamba snakes, and rhinos. There are so many different foods and pieces of art that come out of here, and natural resources and human talent. South Africa has so much to offer and will always provide you with an incredibly rich experience.

I am not from here. I'm American. But after living in South Africa for just about three years now, I have grown to deeply love this country, the people and the nature. I don't know if you've seen this in the news lately, but it's just heart-wrenching. I'm not sure when I became such an animal lover...it was probably somewhere between getting my first dog and seeing wild ellies (elephants :) for the first time...but I have.

So, I just wanted to share some pictures from my most recent trip to Kruger National Park.(And here are just a few more photos from another trip to the park.) I hope they inspire you and that you enjoy and appreciate the beauty and nature that this country offers, as much as I do.

Love,

EF

Mama Congo and real life

Today, I want to share a post from a blog that I follow...that I think you should follow too.

Mama Congo is written by two American women who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with their husbands and kids. I love hearing about people's lives in other countries – it’s fascinating! But to pick up your family and move to a country like the Congo - astounding. Have a look around their blog and at this website if you'd like, to see more of what life is like there.

The post I want to highlight is: The Picture That Did Me In. What Sarah describes here is an extremely common but shocking reality of how much of the world operates: with so little/access to so little, while the rest of us have so much/so much access. When I’m reminded of this disparity, I’m reminded that I actually have so much I can give (even when I think I don’t).

  

At  traffic lights here in SA, there are always a number of people begging or selling whatever odds and ends they can in order to makes some money. My heart breaks every time. I always watch them (and often try not to make eye contact, to be honest) and think: What if I had to do that? What if I had to try and sell pens or cell phone car chargers or cheap car decals to make a living? What if I just had to beg? How humbling that would be to me. Their’s is a whole other world that I really can’t even comprehend. (And these people probably have even a bit more than those who we don’t see.) And as I pass some of these people and drive into the grocery store, I have my choice of cereals, fruits, ice-creams, chips, breads, sodas, toothpaste, shampoo…even toilet paper. I can very quickly and easily feel guilty.

I wanted to highlight the post from Mama Congo because a) I thought it was great and I love their blog. But, b) to share a small part of my daily life here in SA. It can be hard to live with the realization that there is such a disparity between people…and I often feel like I’m furthering it when I keep purchasing multiple cereals or ice-creams…but it is a reality, but one that, I think, people are only better for when it’s realized. Because we have so much, we really can do so much. (OPTIONAL: I often hear people say that they don’t give money to those on the street because they don’t want the money to be used to buy drugs, cigarettes, etc. Well, when I first moved here, I learned from someone to try and keep food in my car/with me (bananas, bread, apples) that I can give out. It’s a small gesture, but it’s being active about the reality rather than moping about it.)

Let Mama Congo know if you like their blog – bloggers love to hear from you. :)

Love from the quickly summer-ing southern hemisphere,

E

(Oh, and at first I thought I should include more pictures in this post, but when I thought about what that meant…taking pictures of people from inside my car…that just didn’t sit well with me. It’s better to see some things for yourself.)

The discussion of Syria

On the day that we remember such a life changing and heart breaking day in history, I find it interesting that the US is once again in a debate over whether to involve itself in Middle Eastern affairs; namely, the case of Syria. Of course, the circumstances are completely different. No one attacked us. No Americans died. But many people did die. An act of terrorism occurred somewhere else, to others.

Did you watch President Obama’s speech last night? I didn’t watch it – it aired at 4 A.M. over here – but I did read the transcript. If you didn’t watch, you can read the transcript HERE. I think it is a very impressive speech. He seemed to fully address the public’s concerns and pulled in strongly persuasive historical context for the path he is proposing.  If I didn’t have my own inner turmoil about the situation, this speech might have convinced me to support his stance.

But as a Christian, what do you do in a case like this? How do you decide what the right decision is?

I completely believe that the use of chemical weapons is atrocious and an act like what was seen in Syria should not receive a blind eye. But does that justify deadly, retaliatory action?

President Obama’s speech had some good lines in it.

“…it’s also a danger to our security. Let me explain why. If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. As the ban against these weapons erodes, other tyrants will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gas and using them. Over time, our troops would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield, and it could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and to use them to attack civilians.”

Do you believe this? Do you feel unsafe as an American in the US, or are you fearful? I personally have never feared for my safety while living in the US.

“America is not the world’s policeman. Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong, but when the  modest effort and risk we can stop children from being gassed to death and thereby make our own children safer over the long run, I believe we should act. That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional. With humility, but with resolve, let us never lose sight of that essential truth.”

This sounds really great. Very patriotic. Do you believe America isn’t “the world’s policeman”? Because I have a feeling more Americans than not probably think we are the world’s policeman. Do you think much about America’s role in the rest of the world (whether you’re American or another nationality)?

And lastly…

“The burdens of leadership are often heavy, but the world’s a better place because we have borne them.”

This statement, I believe, is true of life in general. I am challenged to be a better leader in my own life, in small ways and big ways. And on a day we remember the deaths and sacrifice of so many, how to you make a decision based on others deaths, and a decision that will almost certainly result in further loss of life?

What are your thoughts? On the situation or on President Obama’s speech. Please keep the comments calm, respectful, and tame. :)

What makes an American?

Today's post is for Americans and non-Americans. So, I guess it's for everyone and anyone. 

I have had a number of South Africans remark (enough for me to notice) that I am not "a typical American". The only thing that I honestly, consistently see as the reason this is said is because I'm not overweight. I'm never quite sure what to make of that.

As I've now been living in South Africa for two and half years and just traveled back to the US for three weeks, and am now back in SA again, I've wondered a lot about the two countries' cultural differences. When I'm in the States, I often get multiple variances of the following questions:

"What's the food like?"

"What's a typical South African meal?"

"Can you do a South African accent for me?"

"What's the culture like?" (that's not a broad question...can you hear the sarcasm?)

Likewise, living in SA, I get similar questions about the US fairly often. And sometimes for both countries, I actually struggle to answer these questions. I can tell you what a typical South African meal is like (for a number of the different cultures) but I can't do a South African accent. There isn't one accent. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, so everyone sounds a bit different from each other. 

And when I'm asked about the US, I find that my answers confuse even me. 

"What's the food like?"

         Large portions. (Ok, that's all over the US.)

"What food do you miss the most?"

         Mexican, Cuban...wait a second - that's the American food that I miss the most?

Yeah, I crave a good burger every now and then - like on the Fourth of July (I mean really, what's more American than a burger or hotdog?) And I love hot, chewy brownies with the best of them. 

But what really defines America? What really makes you American?

I was born on the west coast of Florida, grew up in Miami, went to college in Boston, and lived in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. over two different summers. From my experience:

Being American is being multicultural. Americans are accepting (I know you may think that's debatable, but overall, I really think we are), diverse, fun, and hard working (yes, I know there are exceptions to all of these). Americans eat a lot. Many Americans never learn another language. A lot of Americans don't know how to consistently relax (more than having a TV series marathon) and take holidays (vacations) for more than one week a year. Americans loving watching football, eating turkey, and going shopping at 4am in order to try and get really great deals. 

Please do not get me wrong: I know every American does not fit into these statements. But in terms of how the rest of the world sees us, these are a just a few qualities by which I think you can generalize Americans. 

So, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

What defines America? What really makes you American?

Have you traveled to other countries? What do people in other countries say/think about the US?

Do Americans really have a global reputation for being overweight?

This is a friendly discussion. Please keep the comments light and appropriate. :)

Love,

EF

The discussion of modesty

It was absolutely GLORIOUS to be able to have a break from the cold Joburg winter and spend some time in summer while we were visiting my family in the US recently! I think we spent almost every second we could in the scorching sunshine (and we managed not to get burned!).

And while I was Stateside, I bought a new swimsuit at Target (miss that so much!); it's a "tankini" (do they even call them that any more?). But you know, a two piece, of which the top still covers your stomach area (it's the top I'm wearing in the picture above). I chose to buy this instead of a bikini because I already have a bikini and I wanted something more modest - something I would feel 100% fine wearing if anyone more than my family was around.

But honestly, until I watched this video below, I didn't realize how much more confident it made me feel. I loved wearing something that wasn't "revealing" but was still adorable (in my opinion of course - thank goodness the husband agrees). Please watch it. I think it's excellent and every girl needs to seriously consider what they wear - in the water and outside of it.


What do you think? Is modesty that important? Do you wear a bikini? Will you still wear a bikini?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Love from the Southern Hemisphere,

Ellie


Oh, and PS - I checked out Jessica's swimsuit company and LOVE it! It'd pick this one:

Ode to Boston

I’m not a Northern girl by birth, but I am at heart. The city of Boston is one of the few places that everyone else knew about, but somehow had escaped me until I was deciding what university to go to. 

I had pretty much always known that I wanted to study international relations, so in my search for a program for that field, I got my heart set on a specific liberal arts school in the suburbs of Boston. My always supportive mother flew with me up to Boston during the fall semester of my senior year in high school to check out a few places. I never ended up going to that liberal arts school, but instead, to the great Boston University. I had thought I may want to move to New York City for university (I would still love to live there at some point), but after living in Boston for five years, I think Boston was the perfect college town and is one of the Northeast’s treasures.

I had actually started writing this "Ode to Boston" quite a ways back and had planned to write it as a "Day in____" feature. I'm sure I will still do that at some point, but in light of recent events, I just felt compelled to share some pictures of the city that I came to love so dearly. My heart breaks as I look at pictures from yesterday's marathon and as I think about my friends who ran it (but are ok, praise the Lord), and the fact that I can't be there. I know me being there would do absolutely nothing, but I'm sure I could do more than I feel I can do from all the way here in South Africa. 

I don’t seem to get back there much these days, but I would in a heartbeat given the opportunity. The city of Boston and the friends...really, family...I built there over my time in college, irrevocably changed my life for the better. Please keep them all in your prayers. And I hope these pictures help you to see the joy that exists throughout the city of Boston.

Love,

Ellie

Michelle Obama!

The lovely and graceful First Lady, Michelle Obama. :)

I just love Michelle Obama! She just seems like she could be anyone's next door neighbor, and I truly believe we could be the dearest of friends.


On 22 June, I got see her speak in Soweto at Regina Mundi Church! It was such a great experience! She is quite the woman; so impressive. She's beautiful, strong, inspiring, has integrity, takes her girls everywhere, and has a fabulous sense of style (especially for a First Lady)! I also just love hearing really great speeches; ones that are inspiring, make you think, and make you want to go save the world. That's how I felt after listening to Michelle. Here are some of my favorite quotes from her speech that day. :)




Background to the first quote: And you all know the story –- how 35 years ago this month, a group of students planned a peaceful protest to express their outrage over a new law requiring them to take courses in Afrikaans.  Thousands of them took to the streets, intending to march to Orlando Stadium.

But when security forces opened fire, some fled here to this church.  The police followed, first with tear gas, and then with bullets. 

And while no one was killed within this sanctuary, hundreds lost their lives that day, including a boy named Hector Pieterson, who was just 12 years old, and Hastings Ndlovu, who was just 15.

Many of the students hadn’t even known about the protest when they arrived at school that morning.  But they agreed to take part, knowing full well the dangers involved, because they were determined to get an education worthy of their potential.

And as the Archbishop noted, that June day wasn’t the first, or the last, time that this church stood in the crosscurrents of history.  It was referred to as “the parliament of Soweto.”  When the congregation sang their hymns, activists would make plans, singing the locations and times of secret meetings.  Church services, and even funerals, often became anti-Apartheid rallies.  And as President Mandela once put it, “Regina Mundi became a world-wide symbol of the determination of our people to free themselves.”

It is a story that has unfolded across this country and across this continent, and also in my country -- the story of young people 20 years ago, 50 years ago, who marched until their feet were raw, who endured beatings and bullets and decades behind bars, who risked, and sacrificed, everything they had for the freedom they deserved.

So the question today is, what will you make of that inheritance?  What legacy will you leave for your children and your grandchildren?  What generation will you be?

And I am here because I know that true leadership -– leadership that lifts families, leadership that sustains communities and transforms nations –- that kind of leadership rarely starts in palaces or parliaments.

That kind of leadership is not limited only to those of a certain age or status.  And that kind of leadership is not just about dramatic events that change the course of history in an instant.

Instead, true leadership often happens with the smallest acts, in the most unexpected places, by the most unlikely individuals.

So make no mistake about it: There are still so many causes worth sacrificing for.  There is still so much history yet to be made. 

And in the end, that sense of interconnectedness, that depth of compassion, that determination to act in the face of impossible odds, those are the qualities of mind and heart that I hope will define your generation.

I hope that all of you will reject the false comfort that others’ suffering is not your concern, or if you can’t solve all the world’s problems, then you shouldn’t even try.

Instead, as one of our great American presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, liked to say, I hope that you will commit yourselves to doing “what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are,” because in the end, that is what makes you a lion.  Not fortune, not fame, not your pictures in history books, but the refusal to remain a bystander when others are suffering, and that commitment to serve however you can, where you are.

So you may not always have a comfortable life.  And you will not always be able to solve all the world’s problems all at once.  But don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.

Nicole Harvey and I waiting to see Michelle. I thought this picture was an appropriate one to end with because, (yes I know it sounds corny) we are those people she's talking about! :)

Cultural Things

I’m really excited about this post because it’s all cultural stuff! And I haven’t talked about that in a while…

So this past weekend I went to a very South African concert…Johnny Clegg! The family I live with bought tickets to celebrate Glenn (dad) and Nicole’s (daughter) birthdays, and were so gracious to take me along.

The Johnny Clegg concert was such a great experience – such a great South African experience! Johnny Clegg bio, also known as the white Xulu, is a South African singer who in the 1970s and 1980s, began singing and performing with Xulus. In South Africa, the two main black cultures are Xulu and Xhosa. And during apartheid, whites and blacks really did not mix at all. So the fact that this guy started living with, singing with, and performing with black people was a radical thing! He even learned a lot of the Xulu dances. And this is what I got to hear and see this past Saturday.  

It really was such a neat thing to see and hear. Seeing so many different people at the concert (whites and blacks), hearing the songs that talk about apartheid, as well as, such pride in Africa – it was really moving and inspiring. Someone mentioned the other day that Americans love the struggle; they love hearing about apartheid and people who fought and how it came to an end. At first I wanted to be defensive (I think mostly because it was a generalization about Americans), but then I thought about it – yeah, we do like the struggle. That’s why we love talking about, learning about the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the World Wars. And I think it’s a good thing. Learning from history, especially the darker parts and how they turned into the brighter parts, is really important. It’s important to learn, but it’s also important to just be inspired. Inspired so we can do something now, in our time. 

(Note: I've tried to upload videos from the concert so you can hear his music and see the Xulu dances, but I don't think the internet is "strong" enough here. Sigh. I'll keep trying, but in the mean time, you can hear clips here.) 

The last thing I want to say here is that tomorrow is another public holiday! (Surprised, huh?) It’s Youth Day. I’m celebrating by going on a bike tour of Soweto – a very historical part of Johannesburg. Here’s a short blurb about Youth Day. How will you celebrate? ;)

In 1975 protests started in African schools after a directive from the previous Bantu Education Department that Afrikaans had to be used on an equal basis with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools. The issue was the whole system of Bantu education which was characterised by separate schools and universities, poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained teachers. On 16 June 1976 more than 20 000 pupils from Soweto began a protest march. In the wake of clashes with the police, and the violence that ensued during the next few weeks, approximately 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed and property destroyed*.

Youth Day commemorates these events.

Rest vs. West

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a Xulu woman from church.

She was telling me how she wanted to find some children’s books in Xulu for her one year old son, but after searching all around Johannesburg (a major metropolitan city of approximately seven million people) found only one store that had five books. She was devastated! So many people here are and speak Xulu, but it is dying. The cultural traditions, the language, the community are all being infiltrated by westernization. This was not the surprising issue at hand to me, but rather, her comment that the government is forced to adapt and abandon certain cultural norms, traditions, and schools of thought in order to “fit in” with Western governments. That is what stunned me. It had never occurred to me that a government would feel the pressure to conform to western standards and abandon its own cultural heritage for the sake of progress, growth, or just friendly government relations.

The question is then: how do the governments of developing nations or of non-western nations, grow in their status on the world stage and in strong ties with the major world powers, yet maintain their cultural identities and historic values? Additionally, how can western governments and the governments of the dominating countries of the world, conduct their affairs in a manner that allows for the growth and acceptance of developing countries and non-Western nations, all while preserving those countries’ heritages?

I don’t have a complete answer to that question…I’m still pondering it. But one thing is, western governments need to not see western economies, traditions, schools of thought, or lifestyles as the complete and total norm. They are just one option in the choices of global governance.  

This is a short entry; I want to hear more of your thoughts and ideas. =)

Listen and Read

This is an interesting day.

Quick comment that will enhance the rest of your reading experience: I love music. I love how it moves us, how a melody or line of lyrics can bring together people who may not have anything else in common. And I love how it provides perspective by being incredibly refreshing and inspiring. So, as I was writing this post, I kept listening to three particular songs that did just that for me (which I needed considering the topic of this post). They may seem cheesy, but give em' a chance. :) Links are below for them. Pick one and listen to it while you read this post. :)

I had been meaning to write for the past few days on something that has been weighing on my heart, and then today, it was announced that Osama Bin Laden has been killed. The news is flooded with commentators, pictures of celebration are pasted all over newspapers...even here in South Africa. And it is a big deal. A very big deal. I wonder how our world will be different from here on out? Will there be less terrorist attacks or more? How will this influence the many revolutions going on in the Middle East and North Africa? How will this influence the way many people look at Muslim countries? I don't know. No one does, really. I want to be optimistic and think this could be the very small beginnings of a new world order. But then I think about the thing that I was going to write about initially...

In one of my very first posts upon arriving in Joburg, I briefly described the poverty that is so blatant here. Every street corner has people selling whatever they can to make money. Every street corner has people simply begging for money, and every street corner has people with some kind of disability, being guided by someone else, begging for money. Every parking lot has "parking attendants" who will take whatever form of payment you can give them (money, apples, bananas). For most of those people, it really is their job; to the point where I can recognize people and see the same faces at certain stop lights.
It was shocking when I first arrived here, but I did get used to it fairly quickly. I got used to how much I do and can give to people, how to handle myself (you do have to be aware of your safety at certain times of the day), and how to ignore what is around me. Sometimes, I'm still used to all that, and other times, like the past few weeks, I can't handle it. It literally breaks my heart. I find myself giving away food that I was planning on eating, scrounging for money in my purse, or driving away from a stop light as fast as I can because I can't handle looking at someone pleading with me to give them anything. There is one woman I've been thinking about in particular, as we've been on holiday. She is always at the same intersection on my way to campus and I really think she recognizes me as well now. I've given her a piece of fruit or some money before, but she always stops at my car window longer than I'm comfortable with, and looks like she is about to cry. She actually tries to sell things, none of it is anything I would actually want or need; but her need is obviously so much greater than selling all of her goods...a few pumice stones, lanyards, maybe a couple cell phone cases. I don't know her name, I don't know where she lives or what kind of family she has. And while many people are celebrating the death of Bin Laden, his death has absolutely no affect on her. She will still be at that street corner tomorrow and the next day and the next day, hoping (maybe praying) that she can get a enough money to survive.

While the death of Bin Laden is truly historical and monumental, there are even greater problems in this world that still need to be solved; many that never will be. The safety of our countries is vital, and friendly government relations is necessary. But even more, is not forgetting about the lives of people who live in our towns, on the streets in our city centers, or in a shantytown in another country. We each have so much we can do and truly need to do, right around us. I still haven't figured out for myself how to handle seeing this much need on a daily basis and feeling compelled to give much because I have been given much. I think I begin to feel that I have to "earn" the life I have by how much I give to other people. (When I figure it out, I'll let you know.) My point in all of this is, that we must keep perspective on the things that are most important, no matter what headlines history is making.

~Elle


Pray, Justin Bieber.    I am generally not a J. Bieb fan, but this song just got me.)


Hold My Hand, Michael Jackson featuring Akon    I know this song isn't about world peace or anything like that, but I just love it and I think in the world we live in, we definitely need someone to hold our hand at times.


Everybody, Ingrid Michaelson    It's just a true song.