but a seed to be planted and to bear more seeds toward the hope of greening the landscape of idea."
~ Henry David Thoreau
2) We know that you spent time in Thailand before. Why did you have to come back at all, rather than just remaining where you felt you most belonged?
Poor planning mainly. If I'd thought ahead (which isn't one of my innate traits :), I would have started looking for a job teaching English before my visa ran out.
There was so much to do and so much healing that took place there. Each day was like a bright spot, even the hard ones, as I was so readily accepted and embraced by the community. It was difficult to see beyond that and deal with the practicalities. I ran out of money and my visa expired.
I now have an entry visa that is good for one year. It doesn't go into effect until my arrival date. As soon as I'm there, I will begin my application for a retirement visa which is a fairly lengthy process.
3) Sometimes you get some really oddly angry comments, which are completely baffling to me. Why on earth do you think people would respond to you this way?
Actually, those comments are really rare and are usually anonymous.
A large part of it is because I am an outspoken cultural dissident. I speak out about the things I see as troubling and some people get defensive. It's a difficult balance to reach sometimes... knowing when to speak out and when to simply accept the differences without criticizing them.
It's natural for people to want to defend the things that are important to them. One thing they don't understand though is that I am all about dialogue. No topic is off-limits and I listen with an open mind to anyone's thoughts. The angry, mean-natured comments are unnecessary when dialogue would be so much better.
4) What do you think of the concept of "soul mate"?
I don't believe there is any such thing. It's kind of a romantic notion that doesn't make any sense to me. On the other hand, I do believe we cycle through lifetimes with the same people until we resolve our karma with them. I suppose that could loosely be called a "soulmate" without the romantic implications. It depends on definition but I definitely do not believe there is "one person for everyone". No one could ever convince me of that.
5) What is one modern invention (that usually is considered a positive thing) that you think the world would be better without?
iPods. I do not own one but I get really weary of seeing people isolate themselves in little bubbles that shut out the rest of the world. This may be a generational thing but I find it rude. The days of casual conversations with strangers on the park bench seem to be a thing of the past. There is a wall of technology dividing us even further when this is such an important time to be coming together.
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