We've noted several times how distance in time from our Nicaragua Trip can dull the sharp edges of our memory. We came back energized and through our compassion diet and this blog, we're trying to keep that energy up.
Another big influence on our perceptions is the environment around us. As many of you know, the US government has temporarily shut down due to political gridlock. Many people in the DC area have been affected by this, as workers for the federal government or through peripheral jobs around the area. News here has been very focused on this, as well as conversations. Because so many individuals in the US are career focused (sometimes to the exclusion of things that truly matter), the shutdown has a looming quality to it in many lives.
Stephanie is somewhat impacted by the shutdown, since she is a government contractor. The agency she supports is not considered "essential" and she has been told not to work on her contract. Fortunately, she is able to focus on a few other related items that are keeping her busy, and her parents will be in town this week to visit.
Having said that, I wanted to point that in some ways, we have our priorities straight. There are many folks out there (both inside and outside the USA) still worried about eating today or finding shelter for the night. I'm happy to be able to point out that while the government might be mothballed for now, many of our aid programs are still going. While this might anger some or bring up political arguments on home vs. abroad, I hope that we can all agree that at the very least, this is helping get some much needed resources to people that could really use them.
http://www.nytimes.com/news/fiscal-crisis/2013/10/02/in-face-of-shutdown-foreign-aid-continues/?_r=0
I'm glad to know that in the face of our troubles at home, we are still helping others in dire need.
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