Well.

Well, well, well. (Did you hear the one about the three holes in the ground?) Well... here I am after a significant break from alphabet dancing. What can I say other than "life's distractions," of which I have plenty. Boring to list them all here, but the one that deserves the most attention in the last few months is the Presidential Election. This one had too much at stake to sit on the sidelines, so I poured my energy into making history: Bake sales, debate parties, fund raising, trying to convince (and sadly failing) my parents to vote Obama; and of course being glued to every turn on the road to the White House. The end of this long campaign culminated in an election celebration with friends which was muted by a nasty cold virus fighting to take over my body, where it is now attacking my vocal cords leaving me with writing as the best means to communicate. So while I am thrilled that our country is on the path to wellness, I am frustrated, struggling to stay on the same path to my own...


Wellness -- not something I like to take for granted, though I often ride that nexus of healthy living while frequently teasing my well-being with indulgences like wine and non-vegetable-like foods. (Certainly no crime, but sometimes I wonder if eating a raw food diet would obliterate illness...) But staying focused on wellness in the gestalt sense is how I aim to live. And I pretty much believe that the more people in a community that live "well," the healthier the community. I also think it has a trickle down effect: if the people at the "top" are unhealthy, irrational, dysfunctional, that will ultimately affect the people at the bottom. I remember being given a small poster as a child, and it must've resonated with me even then, because I kept it on my wall all during high school. The words went something like this (only on my poster it was not attributed to anyone):

If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, There must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, There must be peace in the heart.- Lao Tsu

So the fact that we, as a nation, elected a rational, deep-thinking president has given me great hope - something I have not had for this country in a very long time. And for each of us - families, communities, cities, nations, and the entire planet - I believe this bodes very Well.