Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quote of the Day



Choices are the hinges of destiny.
Pythagoras

I've been reminded a lot lately just how fragile life is, in all its forms. Whether we're talking about those we love, a friendship, a business or anything else, they all have a life. And they're all fragile.

We make choices every day that affect us in the short and long term. We do it without even thinking about it and yet the results are profound.

I've come to the conclusion that one of the hardest things for people to grasp is that not everyone else has the same choices. We can't all chose from the same set of possibilities for ourselves. That seems so obvious and simple, and yet it's something I've only come to see recently.

We can only make a decision - good or bad - from the options we see. If we don't have the luxury of a full roster of choices, our decisions are limited to begin with, and so is the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Joplin Tornado Update

Greg and his mom are both fine in Joplin. I'm so thankful.

When I look at the rubble of the Walmart where Greg's mom was when the tornado hit, I'm amazed anyone got out alive. Of course, not everyone did. She escaped with some cuts and bruises, but nothing major.

They have electricty and phone service at the house, as well as running water. The water isn't safe to drink, but they can shower and such. They are very fortunate the house is functional, although it's damanged.

Within a couple of blocks of his mom's house there are lots of houses without roofs. Within another block there are houses that are rubble.

He has internet, although it's intermittent. There is no cable so they haven't seen nearly as much of the damage as the rest of us have.

Greg's phone service is also intermittent. He can text sometimes when he can't call.

I know many of his friends are checking this blog to see what's going on. That's the wrap up. They are both alive and well and waiting out tonight's storms at a friend's shelter.