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Wednesday, November 23, 2005


Visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island today. Was only the second time I have been there, the last time being over 10 years ago in college. Such a cultural cornucopia of stimulating history. There was one plaque that resonated, written on a display of immigrant wicker suitcases at Ellis Island read something like "as the men and women came to seek new opportunities in an unknown land." I thought, wow that is my life moving away from the Midwest to "seek new opportunities in an unknown land"..not quite as glamorous as coming from Poland or Eastern Europe mind you, but perhaps just as profound inside for me. I have a limited scope outside the United States. I have only been to London, and that was when I was 12 to meet Paul McCartneys brother (this is Gods truth--ask me the details sometime) so I don't think I had as much appreciation for it then as I would now. But being there really made me feel the appreciation coming to the land of the free in 1900. The procedures and the 2% sent back and the desire for more. We spend so much time trying to get ahead as Americans we forget that we are truly blessed just to be here. Just to be born here. Okay, I am sounding like Oprah magazine but hey, periodic patriotism is allowed. Especially during the Holidays. :) On a down note, I found our lady of liberty surprisingly short. You think of her as cascading into the skys, majestic and towering; but when standing beneath her she's about as tall as a 7 story apartment complex or a car wash marquee. Go figure.

Happy Thanksgiving friends...kick it up this year, have tofu turkey...mmmm.

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