Keystroke Journal

Two more days from now, another year will start counting 365 days all over again. And as the year 2008 ends, I couldn’t help but think about my losses and gains. Here are some of them: I put on a few pounds in the early part of 2008, lost it by the mid-part of summer but only to gain it doubly by the end-part of the year. Humph. I gained confidence in a long-time dream career only to find out it wasn’t meant for me. Whoa. I thought I have an open honest-to-goodness friendship in the early months only to have reservations in the last few remaining weeks. Ooops. I almost lost friends from cancer but cancer did not overcome our friendship. PTL! I gained more insights as I traveled from coast-to-coast even though I lost a few thousands for the costs. Ouch. I was convinced to post my thoughts online only to be skeptical of what people might think about them. Ho-hum. I had chances to sniff the fragrant flowers; listen to cheerful birds; watch in awe as the sun settles down; taste concentrate...

Of all the times to visit a memorial, a few days before Christmas Day may seem not to be the perfect day, yet I was there. From a far, it looked like a beach with benches on the sandy foreground. But as I walked closer to the scene, there were no palm trees, no beaches at all. With the wintry weather the place looked serene, unruffled. Its paperbark maple trees were barren as it surrounded the illuminated benches of the memorial while one of the world’s largest office buildings hovered nearby. Remembering the historical background of the monument was sad, and so was the day when I visited the site. The sun’s rays were overshadowed by the hazy sky. The wind was almost chilly. There were hardly any people walking around. No voices could be heard, just cautious footsteps. The only thing missing was a haunting music to pierce my soul. I started to shiver even though I was all bundled up. I couldn’t discern if it was because of the frigid breeze, or the poignant emotions I felt with...