With it being so close to Easter I wanted to take some time to write some thoughts down. I've been pretty sick for about the last week, and I am just now getting back into the swing of things. Last Saturday I ended up at the local urgent care facility(at the badgering of my wife), I was coughing, feverish and having trouble getting air. After some blood work and a chest x-ray it was found that I had pneumonia, I was given some medication and sent home. So I have been mending since then, taking it easy and trying to relax so not in my nature. Well I have returned and with the warm weather I am sitting on the front porch gathering observations for this here blog of mine. As we grow older I am unsure of whether we grow more cynical or we "wise up" to the way the world really operates, sort of like finding out how a magician does his trick. I realize sometimes love is not like duct tape, it can't repair everything..it's an amazing emotion but sometimes more is needed. I struggle with the concept as an American that there are some places in this world that I am not welcome, not because of who I am personally..but of where I come from, I saw this a lot when I was traveling in the Army. I feel I am a likable person, most who meet me get the same impression(or I assume..which can be dangerous)..but yet I am lumped together with in a group and immediately disliked. I wish we could gather a group of people..diverse in culture and ideologies and sit on the front porch here and just talk and get to know each other as citizens of the human race. I know this is pretty heady stuff, but sometimes we don't always need to make life so complicated. For I feel when you complicate issues you lose track of what you are trying to accomplish, which in this case is getting to know your fellow human being. For me I can't think of anything greater to happen this Easter season, maybe not just for Easter..but a lifetime.