More often than not, one does not come
to life’s more interesting conclusions on their own.
Most of the time we have to ask help from others to
figure things out. Trying to better understand the
world cannot always be purely achieved during a
heartfelt conversation with a friend over a cup of
coffee, or a stronger beverage. For thousands of years,
our ancestors grasped the mysteries of the world through
stories told by a silver tongue while sitting next to a
warm and inviting fire along with family and friends.
The African sun beat down upon Ms. Wilde
with such intensity that the aviators perched on her nose
were almost not enough to block out the rays of the sun.
She started working for the De Beers group shortly after
she completed her degree at Linfield University just the
year beforehand. A diamond’s journey is a long and
anguishing one. Once it’s removed from African soil, it
typically reaches the Belgian city of Antwerp where diamond
merchants select the best specimens that eventually end up
on the finger of any would be bride. That is if they don’t
end up on the black market first.
Smart phones are beyond convenient. They have
allowed the average person to basically carry an entire 1990s
electronics store in their pocket on a daily basis. Whether
it’s an iPhone or a Droid device, they both have many uses.
As my annoyed college logic professor once said, “if you need
help, you have the sum of all human knowledge in your pocket,
so look it up.” In more polite words, the internet and all its
wonders are at our fingertips whenever we so desire.
Thus far, the 21st century has not been
a tragic one, but it has not been an easy one either. The
new millennium started started off with blissful hopes. In
the late 1990s, segregation in South Africa had ended,
Northern Ireland was at peace, and the Cold War was over.
Such positivity was short-lived however. In 2001, the old
World Trade Center in New York City ceased to exist, and as
a result a new era had begun.
Tucked modestly in the heart of Europe
is the country of Austria. It is a land of wonders, where
forests and lakes are the main features of this small
country on any atlas or map. Austria truly is a nation
of balance and harmony. Forests may be the breath of
fresh air that invigorates the spirit of the nation, but
the heart of it beats enthusiastically in the capital city,
Vienna.
