I’m going to Kuwait!

Most of you are probably wondering why I put an exclamation point on the end of that and yes, it is because I am so beyond excited.

Long story short — my parents and sister teach at a bilingual school in Kuwait City. I haven’t seen them since December. My parents are the best in the world and bought me a round-trip ticket for my birthday to finally see where they live.

Be thankful!

As this semester draws to a close, I am reminded of the people who have made a positive impact on my life, directly and indirectly.

We are, some of us, nameless students passing in the hallways. At times we offer a smile, a quick nod or wave hello, and the day improves. Whether we exchange names is irrelevant in my opinion. We all want to feel accepted and loved.

Yeah, the name sounds really weird and/or perverted, but it’s really not. Here’s what I’m talking about with the title.

My dog is afraid of thunder and when it starts, he will freak out until he gets let into a room with somebody in it.

He will then proceed to hide under the nearest desk or overhanging object or cuddle up to me, shivering violently the entire time.

Two words that evoke thoughts of panic and high alert are “may” and “day”, but there are other reasons to put them together.

One reason could be the late spring pagan festival, another the James Bond character.

May Day also happens to be another name for the International Workers’ Day.

Buckle up! It’s the law. However, day in and out I see cars zoom by with children playing about in the car without a seat restraint.

My question for those parents is what are you thinking?

When rushing out the door heading to work or school you jump in the car, cell phone in hand, throw your seat belt on, but don’t take the time to buckle up your child?

When I go back home from Oklahoma City, I look for a marker along I-44 that tells me I’m back in my home country.

This sign defines the border between Green Country and the rest of Oklahoma. There are actually several of these markers in Tulsa, and friends insist having at least one meal from one of the locations when they return from out-of-state, and my dad has a mental map pinpointing where each sign in town is.

These places are so beloved, I have declared them Embassies of Tulsa.

On the radio here recently, I heard of the retirement of the NASA shuttle Discovery. The Discovery was part of such missions as the launch of the Hubble telescope, and with its retirement, the end of the shuttle program becomes just that much more real for me.

So…what now? Another “moonshot” drive, headed in the direction of terrestrial technology? Reallocation of the funds to some other aerospace program, weapons perhaps? But there’s a better question than “what now?”

Namely: who cares?

I found out the issue that I had in my earlier blog.

The entire reason of my first real blog.

I wasn’t losing my voice, as I used to write in the way “they” wanted before.

Mike Wallace, 93, died on Saturday, April 7, surrounded by family in a long-term care center in Canaan, Connecticut.

Wallace, a legendary journalist, was perhaps best known as a respected, fact-finding “60 Minutes” broadcaster.

Wallace may be most remembered for his stern, determined interviewing style as he cleared the decks and brought the truth about politicians, news-makers and celebrities, to America, and the world.

I’m losing my voice.

Not in the way you would expect though, if you were to ask me how I’m doing, or say “wassup!?” then you could hear me clear as a bell.

I’m losing my voice because of how my job works.