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One of the favorite times I ever had was when my wife and I sat on our balcony and watched a thurnder and lightning storm.  This was a warm summer evening that was shaken by a sudden shift in the wind and the temperature dropping by evening.  By nightfall, the storm began to fill the sky with an array of electricity that rivaled any fireworks display we had ever seen.  We oohed and aahed as the lightning cracked and rippled through the distant Northern skies. 

I could recount any number of wonderful experiences that I shared with her before our marriage became all twisted and ugly.  And perhaps as I continue to allow time and distance to heal me, I might permit myself to offer up some of the pleasures I shared with her.

Once, at a family gathering, in fact in my parents dining room, sitting around the table with more than a dozen aunts, uncles, and cousins, being the reticent introvert that I was at that time, I found myself silently observing that everyone, I mean EVERYONE besides me, was talking.  And I wondered, who was listening.  Sometimes, Blogging seems like that.

I ordered my Starbucks Americana, sat by the fireplace in an overstuffed chair, and feeling the warmth of the fire and the coffee, read a magazine.  Looking around, I noticed others doing the same, reading or having conversations with friends, some with laptops working on projects.  This is the Coffee Culture.  

By early evening, a steady fall of snow blanketed the ground on this Christmas Day, the scene outside my window a Currier and Ives painting. All is well. Peace on this part of Earth. I hope it spreads to the rest of the world.

Some are better equipped by nature and nurture to do much more than survive in this world, using the available resource to their best advantage.  Thus, someone born into a family of creature comforts and emotional supports may make find himself surrounded by opportunities for education, formal and informal, throughout his life. He may take advantage of a network of information sources, providing enrichment and opportunities to pursue and satisfy his interests and advance in the manner and direction he desires. The type and level of communication with others may be enhanced by the associations and opportunities available. A youngster who is treated to travel with the family to numerous and various locales is likely to be greatly enriched by such experiences, adding to his knowledge base and level of sophistication.