Graduation Day

Today's posting is a bit different and for a very good reason. It's Monday after a whirlwind trip from Cambodia back to Tennessee. My son Tyler graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in English and a minor concentration in Sustainable Development. So where else would I be than in Boone, NC?

19 family members came from Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana and Tennessee (oh, and Cambodia!) to honor Tyler's achievement. We all ate lunch at a Japanese hibachi restaurant, attended two receptions and witnessed the graduation ceremony. We took lot of pictures!

Let me tell you a little bit about my son. Tyler has been a very bright light in my life. He has a sparkling personality, brains the size of a whale, and a compassionate heart. When he finds his passions, and he has many, he has laser-like focuses and brings an insatiable curiosity and creativity to bear. His positive attitude and generally joyful temperament are contagious, which add to his powerful leadership abilities. He's absolutely lovable.

Tyler wants to make a big contribution in his life - he's a big player. For instance, one day he proclaimed, "Dad, I want to be the Secretary General of the UN." I don't know if that is where he's going to end up, but it wouldn't surprise me. He has a huge vision for the world and a heart of service.

On Tyler's immediate horizon is his forthcoming job as an English teacher in Japan. The JET Programme. This famous program is designed to improve the spoken English of Japanese students. He can spend up to five years there, completely immersed in Japanese culture and language, living in a rural area and teaching at the local school. This is an amazing opportunity for Tyler and a very bold, courageous step. We'll miss him terribly, yet fully support his life-changing journey. I've thought more than once about staying in Cambodia so that we can be relatively close. We'll see... If you'd like to send Tyler a note his email address for a little while longer is: tr61670@appstate.edu

I must say, it was somewhat strange being back in Knoxville. 30+ hours of flying with four connections along with an 11 hour time difference, it has all been a bit surreal. Plunging back into the mainstream of my life has been a bit shocking actually! Interestingly, I found myself feeling much more agitated and tense than I have over the past two months. I don't think I can attribute it all to fatigue or jet lag. There is a palpable difference in the pace of my life in each place. Hmmm...

So today I get back on an airplane to travel over the top of the world (literally over the North Pole) and return to my other home for right now. I leave today at 7pm, spend the night in NYC and then fly out the next day, arriving in Phnom Penh on Wednesday evening at 725pm. Jian, my sort of regular moto driver (motodop) will fetch me. I wish I would have had more time to spend with family and friends. I'll be back sooner than I probably can imagine.