Papacy Funeral, historic, but not exciting at 2 am...

So here I was at 2 am in the morning one hour into the longest funeral I have ever witnessed and I begin to feel real sorry for all the dignitaries who were sitting in the Vatican April heat. They looked a bit warm in their suits and formal wear. Now, the pageantry was an interesting aspect, the simplicity of the coffin, was surprising, and the amazing amount of world leaders from around the globe crossing ethnicities and religions, was a statement of the former pope's world influence. The event was historic, but after an hour of listening to people I did not know speak languages I did not understand, I decided my bed looked better than finishing the funeral. So, I doubt I will forget this late hour event as George W sat by Iranian and Syrian leaders, and leaders paid their respects to the man from humble Polish roots, who changed much of the face of the Catholic Church. However, I think I will tape the next papacy funeral rather than try and watch it in the middle of the night.

TCK

I am me. I am a third culture kid. As much as I have heard that phrase tossed about, until I read Pollack and Van Reken's book Third Culture Kid, I believed it was a phrase that was reserved for children growing up internationally. My experience of 2 1/2 years in Great Britain could not be considered a lifetime. However, I am learning while their are degrees of of so many part of life, the challenges may be less, but the disconnect, the relational challenges, the missed pop culture, they are all there. I remember the looks upon asking who John Bon Jovi was. Having been a military brat, the very culture we lived in required a high mobility subsistence. In a hi today, bye tommorrow culture you made friends quickly, but never went deep into friendship. The authors frequently quote from Military Brats by Mary Edwards Wertsch. Every line of their referencing strike a chord on a deep level. If you have ever lived internationally as a child, read the book. It validates the difference which are both strengths and challenges.