Irony

I am visiting my parents right now and came for a 3 week stay. I arrived about 10 days ago and something kind of crazy happened to me yesterday. I went to the hairsalon to have my hair done with the lady I see whenever I visit. I was all happy, as most women are when they leave the salon. It had been raining earlier but was no longer doing so. I was about 10 feet away from my car, walking towards it, as I slipped and fell, then the screaming began. I was the one screaming, I believe for help, though I can't be sure. What I am sure of is that I was in the most agonizing pain I have experienced in my life so far. I saw my left knee ball pop out, instinctively (cause i really wasn't thinking) i popped it back into place. At this point, people heard my screams and one gentleman (God Bless him) rushed over and lifted me up off the floor and let me use him to support myself. I was trying to calm down but I was in a lot of pain. As the pain subsided slightly since the knee wasn't dislocated anymore, I managed to ask him to walk me to my car where I said I would sit and call for help. Since i am visiting, I didn't want to use an ambulance because I know it can be very expensive without insurance and didn't want to deal with the hassle of it all...Anyway, I called home, my mom called a friend who happens to work in the emergency room, and she (her 3 young 8-12 year old, children, husband and my parents) came to get me and took me to the emergency room. Thank GOD for her. I was admitted immediately and we were in and out of there in a little over an hour. Normally one spends about 8 hours in the emergency room -it's a painful process, but this was the best that it could have been under the circumstances.

Anyway, now I can't do anything by myself. I use crutches to get around and my parents accompany me everywhere even to the restroom as I have nearly taken a few tumbles even with the crutches so they are around to catch me if i do fall...It's unfortunate this happened, but at least they are around and taking very good care of me. I am hoping this will heal enough for me to travel without pain when I am scheduled to return home in 10 days...we'll see..

The irony of this whole situation is that the last time I came home for a visit, my Uncle passed away 2 days after my arrival,so I ended up flying to Canada for his funeral and spent about a week total at home and clearly wasn't able to do much. Now this trip, a week into it, this happens and again I am unable to do much. I wonder if its a sign that I am just not meant to go to the beach and just relax...don't know.. Actually, truthfully,this situation could have been a thousand times worse and last year I am glad I was close enough to Canada to be with my family during such a difficult time and be able to attend the funeral, so I am not complaining about either situation, merely pointing out the irony of it all..

Anyway...this was my little Caribbean adventure...let's hope I go back with a knee that works..for now I am staying off of it and actually today I am preparing a talk on life after death which I will give tonight at my parent's dinner fireside...knee in a splint and all...Hope it goes well.

Really, I mean really???

So I just got home a little bit a go from taking my dog for a walk around the corner from my apartment. As I was out, minding my own business, a taxi stops next to me, window gets rolled down and the driver says something to me in Swedish. I didn't hear him properly so I say, "what did you say", he repeats it again, again i Say " what" (all in swedish - my poor attempt), and he repeats and I finally understand he is asking if the dog is mine, i say "yes" he says "very nice dog", i say "thanks", he says something else, once again I don't understand, I think he might be asking the dog's race so I say "shitzu", he says "no..." and repeats whatever he originally said, so finally, in swedish I say "I speak very little swedish, english please" so then he proceeds to say again(in english this time) " is the dog yours", "yes", "very nice dog", "thanks", " where are you from?" " united states" , then the kicker "can i walk him with you"...Ahhh..now we get to the real reason he stopped.." he laughs, says something like " you are nice too, can I walk the dog with you", and i chuckle and say "um, I don't think my husband would like that very much" (though he probably could care less since he seems unthreatened by other men...), then he laughs and is like" no, no, just walk" and I kind of just smile and keep walking and he drives off...This gentleman was a bit older (40's maybe) and foreign which explains the boldness...I don't consider myself the hottest thing out there or anything close, but i mean come on dude, really??? you ask a young woman if you can walk her dog with her??? that's a new one...I mean he went for it, good for him..can't hurt to try I guess.. I just wonder - what is it that makes people so confident to just approach a complete stranger and be so forward??? The sad thing is, if this guy had been attractive, I'd probably have been very flattered and bashful etc...I mean who knows...life is weird but this guy didn't stand a chance, married or not...sorry buddy!!!

Inspired

No not really...I just feel like its time to post something on here since it's been forever since my last post. Last time I wrote, I had returned from a wonderful trip to Italy with my beautiful sister. It's been 5 months since that trip but I still look upon it fondly. Since then, I've been to Switzerland three times for work. This last time, I was there for nearly 3 weeks. I got stuck as a result of the volcanic eruption but made it back after 6 nights stranded in Lausanne. Luckily, I was there for work and all expenses were covered. Also in that time, I found out my apartment was foreclosed on (sucks but at least that ordeal is over with..for now anyway), and I got some other difficult news...I'd say the last two years of my life have been quite challenging in some ways, but in others I remember how blessed I am. It's hard to feel bad for yourself when you know how good you have it all things considered. For example, at least I get to enjoy freedom of religion. I think about the 7 friends in Iran who have now entered their third year in prison without a trial and sentencing. I can't even begin to imagine what it's been like for them!!! I hope they are released soon though I'm not holding my breath!

I feel like I am embarking on a new chapter in life now. I will be entering my 30's soon (in a little over a year), will hopefully be blessed enough to have children in the coming years and create my own little family unit. I cherish family above all else and want nothing more than to enjoy that feeling of being a family unit again. I miss my parents and sister so much and the feeling of the "four of us" but hope to have that one day again, though different obviously..

I have plans to head home this summer which will be so nice. Haven't been home in a year and didn't really get much time when I was there last summer. I am looking forward to sunshine, rest, and relaxation. Haven't actually booked my trip yet, but hope to do that soon. My father recently retired (though he still works - just free-lance now) but it will be so nice to have more time with him. I really miss my parents and look forward to spending some quality time with them...Well that about sums up what i've been feeling the past few months..

Catch up

It's been roughly over a month since I wrote anything on here. I spent most of that time traveling to different countries. I was in Italy with my sister and then Switzerland for work. Italy was awesome. The country itself was beautiful and I saw lots of cool stuff (in Venice, Verona, and Rome), but more so, the memories I have from the people I spent time with will stay with me forever. For starters, this was the first trip my sister and I have taken together, just the two of us (though there were others around for much of it). I really cherish the time we spent together. It really allowed us to just enjoy each other and hang out and be friends. We explored Venice and Rome and had lots of laughs and even a few tears, but good to be able to be there for each other. I really love and admire my little sister and this just made me feel that all the more. In Verona, we attended a Bahá'í conference for young professionals called "Changing Times". I met some wonderful people at this conference and laughed so hard it hurt. Sometimes you meet people who just burrow their way into your heart, I experienced that at this conference. I met people who I know I will now care for as long as I live. I have memories to warm my heart and that is the best kind of memory to have!!!

After italy, I flew back to Sweden, was here for less than 12 hours, then flew to Switzerland and was there for work for 2 weeks. My new job has me going to Switzerland quite frequently. Though traveling can be exhausting, its kind of a blessing right now. Sweden isn't the best place to be in the winter since it tends to be dark and gray most of the time. Apparently, it was also FREEZING cold while I was gone. I was lucky enough to escape that while in Switzerland. I don't enjoy being away from home, away from my husband, but I do like the change in scenery and weather. I also really like the people I work with in Switzerland. It's a fun group of people and for the first time in several years, I am working with others which is really nice. I have been pretty isolated at work for a while, so its nice to be part of a team again. I head back in a little over a week and will be there for 2 weeks again...I'll be home just in time for Valentine's day, lucky me :o)

This past month has been a difficult one in terms of the world. The 7 Bahá'ís in Iran are on trial (the Yaran) and we all know its pretty much a sham of a trial, but still those poor people have been in prison now for almost 2 years without a "trial" and probably want to know their fate. At least the world has cried out against what is being done to them and it has created some awareness regarding the plight of Bahá'ís in Iran. Then last week we had the devastating earthquake in Haiti which has left thousands dead and many others homeless in a country which was already suffering a great deal. I feel really awkward writing about how great my life is and then acknowledging how so many others are suffering at the same time that I am smiling remembering a good memory. It feels wrong to be happy in the light of such tragedy and suffering going on, though I know it goes on all the time in many places around the world, but just doesn't get the media attention on it as something like a natural disaster does. The only thing I can think about is that those souls going through that are probably much stronger than I am and in the end their recompense in the spiritual world with be tenfold. I also think about what I should do to help contribute to this "ever advancing civilization" and make changes so that future generations don't experience this huge contrast of wealth and poverty, good life and suffering, that our current generation is experiencing. There will always be people who are less fortunate than others financially, but it won't be to these extremes and there will be an awareness in the world that I don't think exists yet. I hope I don't waste the opportunities that have been given to me and am able to do a little bit of good before I leave this "mortal world of dust". No one can phrase it better than God Himself(via His Manifestation of course): "O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Persian Hidden Words)