A Day in the Life of Chaos

Every year about this time when you are an adult you find yourself reflecting on the past.  Christmas is like a bookmark in our lives and while one might blend into the next there are often moments or traditions that hold a specific significance.  Sometimes, they are remarkable for their simplicity. When I was a young man my parents took me to Europe.   It was my second time across the Atlantic.  When I was younger we spent a summer driving around to genealogical sites and visiting the English Country Side.  It was a magical introduction yet  this trip however was different.  This time it would be a trip that would span London to Vienna and Rome.  In three short weeks I would visit or cross five countries and enter the greatest capitals created in the history of the world.  It was also Christmas time and with a plane fare too low to resist, we boarded a nearly empty DC10 and left the eternal darkness of Alaska for Europe.  I was fortunate, as an only child my parents could make the

There is nothing I despise more then conflict.  Some sick people thrive on it, I detest it.  This doesn't include debate.  I enjoy a spirited, structured exchange of opinions if they are well founded and perhaps may make both people think.  No I am speaking of the conflict that arises between two people over an issue perhaps professional, perhaps not.  I hate it.  It burns in me but I can't keep my mouth shut.  I refuse to be a victim but I hate the repercussions of not being one. Yesterday I was walking out to my car at lunch to drop off a few things and I noticed an older man who works in my office as a contractor doing something strange.  It was only upon closer examination that I discovered he was standing between two open doors on his Ford Explorer changing into a suit.  In my profession this is not odd, often people will do this when we have to go to court.  This avoids wearing a suit all day long.  Anyway, I noticed his door touching my fender.  When he closed it I