  Today I felt the purest joy I’ve felt in I can’t remember how long. My son went in the potty for the first time. This emotion startled me, really. I was cheering him on and happy and we were having fun, but out of nowhere joy hit me. It was like the annoying sound you didn’t realize was so loud until it stops, only it was the absence of joy we’ve become accustomed to in our post shuttle accident/war build-up reality. It felt really good, if fleeting. The experience inspired me to once again devote myself to creating a small, private world for my family that is immune to the big bad of the RW.
I want to be very careful about articulating this. I’m not advocating retreating from knowledge of what our country is doing with our tax dollars, in our name. What I want is more like Dr. Weil’s news fast. I used to dislike the John Lennon song (name? ) because the chorus says Nothing’s gonna change my world.
I am devoted to progress, which relies on change and I thought Lennon was voicing that all too common idea that change isn’t progress. I understand now, however, that the song is talking about maintaining your inner peace, your focus despite the crap that’s falling (like bombs in Baghdad) all around you. Speaking of bombs in Baghdad, I found through blogger an amazing blog by a guy in Baghdad (link). It motivated me to look for anything being written by human shields or humanitarian workers there. Found it at http://electroniciraq.net/news/iraqdiaries.shtml 
