Lent and Procrastination

Okay, its been a while since I last posted.  I had started a post related to Lent:

Lent had begun and just as in years past I found myself pondering what I should give up for the season.  Growing up, this challenge was generally short lived and usually focused on food or beverage.  Later years expanded to include not using vulgar language.  I have not actively tried to give something up for lent for a while and decided that this year I would try a new twist on this annual sacrifice.  This year I am going to give up procrastinating about communicating.  Specifically, staying in touch with friends and family.  

The posting date of this entry tells you that Lent is over but I wanted to post this and follow up.  I did make progress with my aspirations to increase my communication with friends and family.  I went to visit friends that I had not seen for years.  We gathered for food and drink and each brought the others up to speed on their lives.  The truly cool part was sitting with people and hearing that we all had common world experiences that included work, family, and life.  From the humorous parts of getting older to the frustrations of the economy.   We all work too much and no one has time for the gym even when sed gym is either at the office or across the street from the house ( You know who you are)   

Maybe next Lent.

Surreal Sound

I was arriving in the Atlanta airport today just before noon. Not aware of the time, I hoped to catch the end of Obama's speech if I could find a broadcast. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was ahead of his swearing in and it was being broadcast on every television in the airport.

I and a co-worker grabbed a drink and headed to a gate seating area where there was still room to view the TV. We found ourselves sitting just as the ceremony was to start. It was at this moment that the Atlanta airport will forever hold my memory. For as we settled in and Obama stood to take his oath, the sounds in the airport fell away. All announcements ceased, people were silent and all that you could hear was the echo of Barack Obama taking his presidential oath as it drifted gate to gate emanating from the succession of televisions. For a moment, there was no sound but the voices of Barrack Obama and the Chief Justice. You could feel the emotion. It was like sitting on the home team side, you may not have known those sitting next to you but everyone was prideful at the site of their team. There was an instant comradery among strangers. When Barack Obama finished the last line, this quiet audience then rose to their feet and cheered and clapped as though we had just scored a huge victory.