a surprise every time

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Tue, 14 May 2013 22:37:34 -0500

aros: Greenhouse with a Scent of Mediterranean

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:30:53 -0500

aros:

Greenhouse with a Scent of Mediterranean

pushthemovement: Hermanas. That hair.

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:24:03 -0500

pushthemovement:

Hermanas.

That hair.

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Wed, 01 May 2013 22:41:05 -0500

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:40:30 -0500

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via awelltraveledwoman)

rainydaysandblankets: oh my heavens.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:30:55 -0500

rainydaysandblankets:

oh my heavens.

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Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:30:43 -0500

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Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:29:21 -0500

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Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:28:13 -0500

Yes,

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:46:09 -0500

I’m basically reblogging HONY in its entirety tonight. Can’t help it. It’s good.

humansofnewyork: “I work at the UN. I study happiness,...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:45:59 -0500

humansofnewyork:

“I work at the UN. I study happiness, actually.”

“So what’s happiness then?”

“Well it’s very strongly related to income, but only to a certain amount. After about $20,000 a year, it becomes much more dependent on the amount of time we spend with family and friends. This is something we seem to intuitively know at the beginning and end of our lives— but lose sight of in the middle.”

humansofnewyork: “We ordered her those pants, and as soon as...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:45:00 -0500

humansofnewyork:

“We ordered her those pants, and as soon as they arrived, she cut off the bottoms and made a pair of gloves.”

humansofnewyork: “Back in 1978, she came knocking on my door to...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:41:03 -0500

humansofnewyork:

“Back in 1978, she came knocking on my door to yell at me for using up three machines in the laundry room. We’ve been friends ever since.”

kateoplis: “The nights you fight best are when all the weapons...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:39:35 -0500

kateoplis:

“The nights you fight best are

when all the weapons are pointed at you,
when all the voices hurl their insults
while the dream is being strangled.

The nights you fight best are
when reason gets kicked in the gut,
when the chariots of gloom encircle you.

The nights you fight best are
when the laughter of fools fills the air,
when the kiss of death is mistaken for love.

The nights you fight best are
when the game is fixed,
when the crowd screams for your blood.

The nights you fight best are
on a night like this

as you chase a thousand dark rats from your brain,
as you rise up against the impossible,
as you become a brother to the tender sister of joy

and move on

regardless.”

Bukowski

When someone my age is getting married for the 2nd time

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:42:35 -0600

myfriendsaremarried:

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Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:30:48 -0600

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Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:39:21 -0600

vikingsdaily: Peterson presser Look at this beautiful man.

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:22:58 -0600

vikingsdaily:

Peterson presser

Look at this beautiful man.

"Jingle bells! Jingle yay! Jingle good for you!"

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:47:23 -0600

“Jingle bells! Jingle yay! Jingle good for you!”

- Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation (via nbcparksandrec)

vikingsdaily: Should The Minnesota Vikings Pursue Jets QB Tim...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:39:56 -0600

vikingsdaily:

Should The Minnesota Vikings Pursue Jets QB Tim Tebow This Offseason?

http://nflmocks.com/2012/12/05/minnesota-vikings-should-pursue-jets-qb-tim-tebow-this-offseason/

NO.