The Daughter that I do not Blog About Enough*...

    First of all, in my defense: I used to have two blogs with FoxSports.com from 2006 (started the last few days of 2005, after returning to California from Chile right before New Year's) until sometime in 2009. Two aught-aught-nine, that inauspicious year, was the last time that I had access to them, and then FoxSports deceptively wiped them out. I curse them! They did not properly inform me or us of the blogicide that would occur. That is my word for it.

    Some of my posts in edclinch'sit and papaclinchsaints blogs may have touched on that girl of whom I speak now. I would gladly pay someone to retrieve them for me. I have toyed with the Way Back Machine to find them, but no dice so far. So, there is that. Having been born between 2003 and 2005, it is very possible that among my 200 or so entries, the daughter in question may have been a part. Bet! As, the kids say.

    Also, I have jobs in my everyday life that I perform where I am not trying to advertise too much about myself, or things related to my children. Luckily, I am not Mexican, where my life and my family would be under much more threat in general, and possibly specifically as to what I work in. I try not to name my children by name too much. I do not want them to be targeted by scammers and thugs other such low-life vermin of the world. Of them there are plenty. The best thing about getting regular telework at home is blocking all the dumb, misdirected scam calls that bombard our landline phone. 

    But anyway, back to talking about this daughter, known as FNU. (First Name Unknown. It really is known, but not for this forum.)

    She is great, she is doing well in college, she is going abroad and will learn some languages, and I could go on some more.

    I read her college application letter the other day, and it says some good stuff.

    Why not publish her words?

    Ever since I was little, my mom has asked my siblings and I what we think about when we don't have to think about anything. This question always bothered me because I could never categorize my thoughts and passions into one subject, and it overwhelmed me. As I began seriously pondering my future, the answer to this formidable question finally came to me. My mind goes to people. The people around me, close to me, far away, even across the world. People I have known for years, people I have never met, people I want to meet. Faces, memories, and thoughts of future relations constantly run through my head. 

    The biggest tragedy in my life is that I cannot meet and personally know everyone. I want to learn everything; their stories, their fears, their cultures, the sound of their laugh. I cannot begin to explain the comfort I find in the fact that after this life I have all of eternity to get to know each of my spiritual brothers and sisters. Even with this consolation, I wish to spend my mortal life getting to see as much of the world as possible. I want to get to know others, and not only learn from them, but teach them what I am lucky enough to know about this life; about what came before, and what is coming after. When I am with other people, I honestly lose all track of time. Days go by in a happy flash when I am surrounded by a crowd, discussing and laughing the hours away. Long work shifts seem like minutes when I get to talk to customers, and days spent with friends and family seem to pass by in a blink.

     Not only do I want to know people, I want to help them. After I leave a social event, I spend hours absentmindedly theorizing ways to serve and stay connected with those I interacted with. Growing up as a mediator between friends, peacekeeper to siblings, and a support to parents and teachers has provided practice. I look to the future with excitement, not only for all the wonders and people I will get to experience, but for all the positive impacts I plan to make.

    Yep. She said a lot.

    I will say more later. I shall!