Live From Boston

The family and I are at the National down syndrome Congress Convention in Boston. I want to explain everything, but I'm not sure I can. My emotions well up just about every other minute. I see someone with down syndrome everywhere I go, it's the most amazing sight. I love my daughter so very much. I am so proud of her.

They gave an award to this doctor here in Boston who works in their down syndrome clinic. In a video tribute they had a whole bunch of kids with down syndrome saying thank you to him. I couldn't help thinking that their could hardly be any better reward in this life than to have all those kids thanking him. My tears welled up pretty good during that one.

I can't fully explain it, but some days I think I understand God just a bit better because of down syndrome.

Into The Wild

Just finished reading Into The Wild. I thought it was a great read. It would have been a great read just for the writing style and good story told, but it was so much more than that. I thought I saw some of me in the person the story was about. I thought maybe I had 2% of him in me. I know that is not very much, but I could somehow just understand the itch in his life that he just had to try and find a scratch for and the idealism he had to live for. He wasn't perfect, but there was so much about him that I respect so much.

I wonder about my "in the wild" experience just after college in the West End of Mount Vernon. I wonder how wild I really let it be. I wonder how much I sold out in the midst of it. I wonder how much I've let the idealism from those months fade from my life. I wonder how much of that idealism was good to let go of and how much of it should never have been let go of. I wonder about how risking everything might be the only way of finding everything.

Good book, pick it up and read it if you get the chance. I need to find Travis Bickle some time and have a discussion with him about it.