Coffee quote

The way I see it # 21
(off Friday's 2nd cup of coffee)

People need to see that,
far from being an obstacle,
the world's diversity
of languages, religions and
traditions is a great treasure,
affording us precious
opportunities to recognize
ourselves in others.

-Youssou N'Dour

Senegalese musician

N'Dour at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

So I was sitting at the health center at work, waiting for my immunization, when the words on my starbucks coffee cup caught my attention. The nurse came in to give me my shot and I made her read the quote. As we started talking about it, I happened to say the author's name out loud. All of a sudden the PA poked her head in the door and told us that N'Dour lived just down the street from her mother-in-law back in Senegal. WHAT A SMALL WORLD INDEED!!!

Internet -- is it a positive or negative develpment??

(here's my answer to the question when posed by a friend...)

Like anything in life, there are pro's and con's and moderation is healthy:). But for me the pro's for the most part really outweigh the con's. Facebook for example. I once listened to a father talk about how he will not allow his daughter to be on facebook as some child he heard of committed suicide after comments sent to her on her facebook page. I think kids will be cruel regardless of the most popular mode of communication and the full picture of what pushes a kid to commit suicide is very complex and multifaceted. Personally, Facebook has helped me to reconnect with hundreds of dear friends from the past 30 years of my life. It is a simple tool that gives me instant access to photo's and stories from their present lives - ALL around the world!! As a result, the world -- in all it's diversity -- has become smaller and more accessible, and yet that only makes me want to explore more of it!!!!

VA Taxi drivers

Some like it hot, other's like it WINDY!!

I was sitting in a cab on the way to work the other morning and once again was blessed by mr "I like my cab to average 110 degrees" even though it's only 45 outside!! I was working up a sweat without lifting a finger!! He's probably the same one who in the summer won't turn on the AC... but rolls down the windows and blows away whatever style you managed to talk your hair into that day!!

I had quite an interesting conversation with "#17" the other day, he does happen to be my favorite NOVA taxi man!! Somehow we got to talking about honesty, greed and work ethic. He told me about how a certain taxi driver who had been working for the same company for nearly 20 years, recently lost his job for swindling a passenger out of an extra $10!! It was over inauguration weekend when there were lots of tourist in town and lots of road blocks halting traffic. Apparently the driver wrongly assumed that his passenger was a tourist, insisted on going the "long way" while blaming it on blocked roads, and didn't listen to what the passenger asked him to do. She got a receipt signed by the driver.... wrote a letter and that was that!

My favorite "embarrassing moment" is appropriate under this title as well. I'd been working a long string of night shifts and was craving those extra 15 min of sleep... so had gotten in the habit of taking a cab to work rather than the metro. It's quite convenient as there is a taxi stand a few feet from my "front door." My easy justification was that I was still spending less than if I'd had to park in the garage at work... even though I don't own a car, my guilt was mostly appeased.

Well, I realized I'd been taking too many cab rides when... One evening I walked out my "front door" and before I could even cross the street, two cab driver's had STOPPED their conversation, gotten into their vehicles AND started their engines. I finished walking up to the cab, got in, said "Hello." Without needing to ask where I was headed, the driver just dropped me right at the front door of my work!!! I've now become familiar with my local cab drivers in TWO countries!!! How's that for a claim to fame??:):)

today's start

What a beautiful day it's been in DC... only February, but spring is on it's way!!

I sit here in a coffee shop, having just finished a rather long job application. If God opens this door... what an incredible adventure lies ahead!! I am excited to see what happens.

Thank you God for the hope of a future that I have in you.... wherever you take me!!