Another year has gone by

A lot can happen in a one year's time. I am now in my third year of college, and it is now a year since I set up this account. I realize this as I have thought about this lifeguard who I have seen at the pool for a few years. Recently, I have noticed that he looks so different from when I first met him. Before, he looked mellow, calm, easygoing. But now, he looks more serious, focused, and a little mean. Despite these changes in appearance, he is still attractive. I am sure I have changed, but I do not feel it. At times, I feel like I am torn between my past and my future. There is some safety and comfort in the past, but I need to break free of some of those bonds. That is one of my priorities right now, besides studying, and preparing for the future.

Is not it disheartening to watch the news everyday? Most news is about bad news. So why do I bother? Curiosity. As years pass, I find that my curiosity about the world increases, as does my ambition. I think that I can expect to calm down, by the time I am old. (How old is old? I have no idea. It could be 25, 30, 40, etc.) Of course, nobody wants to be accused of being ill informed. I have been reading this book for awhile, "Running Alone" by James MacGregor Burns. It is quite interesting. (I am rather surprised that it caught my interest, since fiction has been a longtime fascination for me.) He discusses the presidents and how they split from their party to make unpopular decisions, starting from JFK to Bush II. I have not quite finished it, but almost. He brought up an interesting point. People are not as interested in Politics as they were before. It is because they feel that the government does not care. Congress debates and debates some more, but not much gets accomplished. And is not it irritating to hear that they passed NON-BINDING resolutions? If they are not binding, then what is the point? "Yeah, here is a recommendation. But we do not expect you to follow it." Also, the candidates do not have clear platforms. None have taken a firm, decisive stand on what they want to achieve. People want to hear something definitive, not a bunch of wishy-washy rhetoric. It is not an asset to Politics, all the corruption and lobbying that goes on.

A true representative democracy will be one where it does not matter if you own property or if you can raise a whole lot of money. It will be one where the most intelligent and most qualified people get the chance to serve the public. This may be a pipe dream, but this country was made by dreamers. They dreamed and struggled, so that we could live in this land. Richard Rorty said that he saw the decay of liberalism. He was criticized for being too harsh about America. But he said that he loved America as much as Whitman. I believe that. This is a great country. But it is the people in control, who are making it look like a mess. It is like a beautiful Ferrari, but driven by an erratic driver. Will we learn? Here is to hoping.

Cheers.

Back in Action

I'm back on campus after a restful break. I was a few minutes late to my first class, but not that late. I nearly slipped and fell on the ice on the sidewalk, but I was able to stabilize myself with my right foot. I got an awkward front stretch in my left thigh, but it's not too bad. I need a deep stretch and then it'll be fine. It's good that I work out. I got to be aware of myself and be able to react quickly. Since working out for a few years, I'm always amazed at how fast I'm able to react. I didn't have breakfast at the time, but I was still fairly alert and able to keep myself from falling. A guy was going in the opposite direction and he looked down, but I saw a big grin on his face. I wasn't mad just relieved and amused that he found it funny. Some chunks of ice cracked and went rolling towards him and stopped short a few inches in front of him. What a way to start the day, eh? Haha. I feel grateful that I didn't fall.

Luz