Amazing world

I continue to experience deep gratitude for the presence of Turkish people in my life. The luncheon they hosted at the State Capitol this week was done with style and grace. They brought a fine speaker from Rice U. in Houston, TX, had lovely displays and good food. I am embarrassed by Americans' lack of good manners, especially compared to them. Fifty people, mostly in the legislature or connected with it, had RSVP'd that they would attend. No where near that many showed up. It must have been discouraging to the group, yet they displayed no anger or disappointment, saying they would do it every year and eventually maybe more people would come. Are we really that busy? Do we take other people's feelings into consideration? I know there have been times when I've backed out of social commitments and let my hosts down.

That evening I chatted on Facebook with a friend from Turkey who has recently come to the states. It was almost incomprehensible to me, the distances from here to Istanbul to Texas and back to Michigan. Yet, here we were, talking as though he was next door.

Changing the subject entirely, I'm helping with set-up for a used book sale at church. Every year parishioners bring in hundreds of books, then buy others, to assist our denomination's international aid efforts. It is incredible how many books we have and another measure of how outrageously rich we Americans, at least many of us, really are. Perhaps in these troubled times, being able to purchase perfectly good books, of every conceivable category, for very little money will be more delicious and fun.

I'm grateful for books and people of other cultures and the snow melt and just lots of things. And I'm grateful for you, dear reader, whoever you are. Have a blessed week!