Muse on This

First Experiences Coming into America July 2006

The American dream evaporated in the unrelenting Philadelphia heat that July. My excitement to see the United States for the first time stewed and dried up. Open windows provided little relief from the hot air that stood stiff like a brick. It declined to dance or sway. Drenched in sweat I watched as cold beads of water - like tears slid down the side of the ice filled pitcher. If only I could shrink and swim in it.

Demis Roussos The Greek Singer of Our Youth Departs the Stage

Demis Roussos died today: January 26th, 2015.
I wrote about him here.
Ah! how sad... but his music and our memories live on.

Greek singer Demis Roussos has died, hospital in Athens says http://t.co/TCin3V9eS3 pic.twitter.com/KRpr5FpHMM
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 26, 2015

Even Then Jimmy Swaggart Made a Difference

As the rain and the snow

 come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

    without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

    it will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

 and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 
Isaiah 55:10 - 11

His was a household name in the 80’s. Every Sunday afternoon we gathered in the living room to watch the TV Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. I can’t imagine any tweens excited to watch an evangelist at any time of the day but we were. With Uganda Television’s (UTV) limited screen time (6pm – 10pm) almost anything went, anything except “Amawuliire” and “Habari” - news in Luganda and Swahili.

Sons and Fathers; Messing With The Pumpkin in The Old Homestead

According to Myers Briggs I am an INFP; an Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving human being. In my world intuition reigns over intellect. Once I believe in a cause it is almost impossible to convince me otherwise. I will hold on to that truth for all its worth. Yes, it’s been said “the heart is not so smart” but the head has its faults too. It is prone to wander off on numerous errands of futile intellectual pursuit.  Like Tolkien I admit “I am a mere individual…with intense feelings more than ideas”.

Since coming to America I’m more aware that intellectual and logical arguments reign supreme. Statements of “I think” capture attention while statements of “I feel” or “I believe” lose the crowd. “Why do you feel? Explain it. How did you come to this conclusion?”

 It's intuition. A gut feeling. An observation. 

The sweet spot however is a fine balance between heart and mind but even this is hard to master.