I am back after not writing for quite some time. My husband kept bugging me, and I didn't want the blog to become so uneven with just his entries. However, I simply had nothing to say and couldn't force my mind to produce anything but a half-hearted entry, so I waited.

But I realized that you cannot wait too long, because when you finally do come back, the blog has to be stellar. There's all this pressure to make it the best blog ever. So I'm writing today before you start expecting that my next blog be an amazing blog. This one is neither great or stupid - it just is. Oh, no, now I'm writing too much of an intro!

I am leaving the campaign trail for a moment to discuss something completely unrelated. This may seem morbid, but here goes...

I believe that bad, unexpected things (death, natural disasters, etc) have to happen in life for us in order to realize how wonderful life really is and truly come alive. I was pondering this idea yesterday after I had listened to a message that my mother left my on my cell phone. She sounded worried and said that she had to talk to me about something. I immediately thought the worst. And then I thought, I really do need something terrrible to happen in my life right now - for me to come alive, to wake up. For my life to change and go in a new direction. For me to realize what really is important to me. And then I started imagining all sorts of things...

Remember when we were kids and we imagined someone in the family dying, and then immediately felt guilty for it? That's what I felt in that moment, and I didn't want to tell anyone. But I'm telling you. Because neither you nor I should be ashamed of that. Everyone does it at some point. It's human nature.

So then last night I dreamt that my grandfather had died. It was very vivid and real. But this morning, I woke up, a. relieved that it was not real, and b. laughing about how the mind works.

Going back to the theme, I think that is what is wrong with the United States. Nothing bad has happened to us on our own soil since the Civil War (some could argue that the Vietnam War brought substantial pain and suffering) to bring us together and make us realize why why we exist as a nation. Millions of Americans have never experienced pain and suffering and therefore, are spoiled, selfish children who have to have nice cars, clothes, and the latest iPhone. And give me a break, this "financial crisis" that we are experiencing right now, although it may be devastating for poorer countries and some families here in the US, it is not enough to make us come alive and come together. And it won't be, because our government will cushion/is cushioning/has cushioned the fall. Now, I hope that because of the Patriot Act, I am not taken into custody for questioning because of this blog. Well, maybe that could be the terrible event that I have been waiting for...