Days have flown by. Work keeps me very busy and the day goes by so quickly it seems like minutes from 7:00 - 4:00 instead of 9 hours. Guilt about NOT working out, NOT riding my bike enough, NOT getting everything done at work eats at me.
The pervading sadness from the shooting in Tucson is everywhere. Bo and I are familiar with the shopping center. It's only a few miles from our new home.
He follows the political scene there more than I do and is very familiar with Gabrielle Giffords. Not that my opinion matters, but all of the political jockying by Republicans, Democrats, etc., does not shed any light on why that young man chose to act out his frustrations with a Glock. He is mentally ill. Several people tried to get him to get help but to no avail. Too bad the clerk that so easily sold him the gun could not see through his skull to read the intent. America can easily keep the tenants of the 2nd Amendment without selling guns whose only purpose are to kill people. Screw the gun lobby.
The framers of the Constitution could not have imagined semi-automatic weapons and 44 magnums.
Bo and I are questioning whether we want to live permanently in Tucson. We simply do not find ourselves alligned with society in America.
The concept of patriotism - that one's country is the best - is so out of date. Global travelers see and appreciate the good and bad in every country they visit. People have to think their country is the best. It's an unavoidable human emotion. Yes, the USA is a wonderful country. It's a great place to live. But it's become paranoid, litigation happy, conservative, pompous, and OTT. Especially the TSA, among others. I wish I could articulate better. Bo is the best at that. I do ramble. But I guess that's what a blog is for, eh?
Life goes on.
Brody starts grad school again tomorrow. It was delayed a day for President Obama's speech at McKale.
Amanda just moved to NYC. We don't know her employment status. Or any status for that matter!
I keep thinking about what I want to accomplish in the less than 18 months we have left in Saudi. I really want to visit Shaybah, Taif, Medina, and Jeddah. There will be no coming back once we leave. I regret not going camping in the desert in our 20 years here in Saudi Arabia. Just about every holiday we've had, we've gone OOK (out of Kingdom) to visit another country.
Today I'm starting my latest "resolution" - that to work out at the gym 2 or 3 times a week. That will mean getting up at 4:30 a.m. twice weekly. I'll have to be firm about going to bed at 9:00 p.m. and not staying up for 4 hours to read a book (too hyper-focused).
I'll close by saying that my hopes and wishes for a speedy recovery go to the people injured by the gunman in Tucson. And, my hopes and wishes also go to my friends with cancer - may they recover quickly, too. I would hope for world peace and harmony, but that is so far beyond any reality that I can't even imagine it.
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