Why?

Why on earth would I want a blog? I suppose everyone who writes a blog asks themself that question. Perhaps it is hubris, I think people want to know what I think. Perhaps it is frustration, I feel like standing on the rooftop sometimes and shouting — “Wake up people.” Most likely it is because I just lost my last platform. I spent 29 years talking to middle school students in the classroom and 22 years as a pastor of a church. Each of those platforms has now come to an end, but I still have things to say.

Today when I was walking, a man spoke to me. “What are they building?” I told him that it was housing. “I suppose they are building it for those illegal immigrants.” His angry face haunts me. My family was an immigrant family. Oh, it was generations ago, but my ancestors left their homeland and came here, full of hope. So there will be a blog, or several, about immigration. Most likely some of them faced the prejudice every immigrant group has faced. “No Irish!” “Wop, go home!” Xenophobia is nothing new.

My husband and I love to travel, so I may be talking about travel and interesting places we visited. We have lived on 4 continents and visited all seven. Living in other countries changes you.

I am deeply concerned about the level of anger in the world. As a child of the 60s, I was so hopeful we could make a difference, but the world peace we dreamed of is further away than ever. Can I do anything about that? We will see.

So, check in sometimes, prepared to be amused or challenged or enraged. Civil conversation is welcome. We need to talk to one another, people we agree with (which is fun) and people we do not agree with (which is difficult). We need to learn from one another.

Peace, KayJay