That's an adventure

They're going to Burma, wearing brand new adventure shoes sewn by kids somewhere. You point out that nearly all tourism grants legitimacy to the regime, brings in hard currency, and that the locals a re so scared of the secret police that they'll never have an authentic rapport to you. Now you've broken the pleasantness. But nevermind. Soon they'll be going back to Paris and their two weekas in climatised coaches funded by, and funding the dictature will have turned them into Burma experts. The population really wants contacts with the West, they tell you...

Overheard on the phone

Dany: Saying the rosary, it's like typing up your bibliography. It's boring but strangely soothing, in a way.

The Local Icon of Christ: [speechless]

The big sin meme: too busy

In the last few weeks, I've been on the receiving hand of people being "to busy" to interact with me when I needed them. It hurts to realise just how low I rate on someone else's list of priorities. Low, very, very low...

But if I'm being honest, I have to acknowledge that I have been even less considerate than these guys towards nearly evrybody in my life. I had every desire to be available, and mostly they understood, but I realise just how infrequently I've given someone the gift of my time and full attention.

I think it is my responsibility to structure my life so I wont' be "too busy". The much touted virtue of hospitality requires it.

A clean slot

I've realised that I would rather say "it's forgotten" than "I forgive you". In human, day-to-day relationship, we never really know what forgiveness means. But a clean slot, that's pretty clear.

I can't remember where I read it, but someone wrote that forgiveness implies treating the offender as if the offense had not taken place, their status fully restored.

Obvioulsy, I'm not thinking about the implications of such a statement in each specific case, and I am not advocating that someone remain in an abusive relationship as a result of repeatedly restoring the offender's status.

But forgiveness, as a word, is just too vague: it can mean anything. I wish I could find a good book about it.