lara simmons

Looking for silver linings today. What are some of yours?

“...[N]o man is free if he fears death...[T]he minute you conquer the fear of death, at that moment you are free." --Martin Luther King, Jr. I love this quote, and it terrifies me. The truth of it terrifies me and the truth I know in my heart that I am still very much afraid of death. And illness and getting in trouble and not being liked and conflict and confrontation. Let's just say I have a ways to go until I am truly free. I am thinking about this today because it's the first day of middle school for my older son and there is a lot of fear among parents around middle school, mainly based on their own experiences of it I suppose, but also a lot of the "talk" these days is about drugs and sex and social posturing - all of which supposedly starts in middle school. It's not that I think "they" are wrong necessarily, I am just beginning to wonder if we should fear it all. When I think back upon my middle school (and high school) days I know I ...

"The truth is, there is ALWAYS hidden value in every moment of life. It just might take us some time to discover it." -- Wandering Earl In preparation for a trip to Japan this summer I am starting to surf the web for things to do, accommodation, and travel tips. As these things always do, one thing led to another and I stumbled upon this quote on the website www.wanderingearl.com . Wandering Earl took off from his home in the USA in 1999 and hasn't had a permanent residence since. And while I am not sure I am suited to this kind of a life permanently, I do love to travel this way. No itinerary. No plan. No reservations. Just a basic idea of where I am headed and when I might (or might not) get there. If you like to travel this way - or think you might like to - check out his website and also check out The Digital Nomads at www.neverendingvoyage.com .