![\"w_b-vong.com_seasons_greetings\"](\"http:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/w_b-vong.com_seasons_greetings.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When we first moved to the United States, my family was sponsored by a small church in North Carolina. \u00a0We got by off of donations and support from the elderly members of the congregation. \u00a0I still distinctly remember our first Christmas. \u00a0It was just our family sitting in our little kerosene heated house, and I tore into the wrapping of my gift, unveiling a new friend, a teddy bear who I immediately hugged. \u00a0Times were simple then, my mother learning how to can beets from our American “Grandma” and my father working at the textile mill. \u00a0Random things like gathering bamboo shoots behind the high school, teaching my mother how to tie shoelaces, finding firewood, getting 3 Musketeers bars from my father—I remember a lot of that, even without the aid of photographs.<\/p>\n
The title of this entry, I got from a Tony Sly song, and it really resonates with me. \u00a0“…I love you plain and simple but it’s sad…all we want, is what we had…”<\/p>\n
I guess you can interpret that in so many ways, and the holidays and end of the year always makes for a contemplative season. The times and places where I frequent now, I don’t think people dare say the dreaded four letter word–poor. \u00a0I know we struggled growing up, and that stigma still sticks and haunts me to this day. \u00a0I don’t know of many working 20 somethings that would even consider toiling in the professions of our parents or the places we grew up. \u00a0But you know, we got by. \u00a0No one starved, and everyone still had clothing to keep us warm while waiting for the school bus. \u00a0In comparison, the riches that we have now would probably make our past selves jump for joy. \u00a0But in 2013 we still look for the next toy or material possession. \u00a0I know I’m guilty of that.<\/p>\n
When I look to the past it’s not because I just can’t let go, or that the times were really that good, it’s just that I’d like to think the memorable times were of the things that just happened. \u00a0Without planning, without large airfares or budgets. \u00a0No expensive presents. \u00a0Just friendships, when the universe allowed our timelines and life strings to intertwine for just a little bit. \u00a0One justification I have for always taking pictures and buying the cameras that become my paintbrushes is that I just know in the future, when more troubles get in the way of normal life, it’s a still frame, a simple photo that will get me through the cold days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seasons Greetings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[260],"tags":[164,286],"class_list":{"0":"post-22235","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-writing","8":"tag-164","9":"tag-lao-culture","11":"post-with-thumbnail","12":"post-with-thumbnail-large"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/10j2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pelE0-5MD","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4771,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/you-cant-go-home-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":22235,"position":0},"title":"You Can’t Go Home Again","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"August 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sure most of us have mixed emotions when it comes to thinking about the places where we grew up.\u00a0 In movies and tv, you see it a lot, famous people and athletes returning to their humble homes with a lit match or a bulldozer in tow.\u00a0 For regular followers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lao Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Lao Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/lao-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/w_b-vong.com_pix_landrum_tryon_09.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2138,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/things-that-have-been-on-my-mind\/","url_meta":{"origin":22235,"position":1},"title":"…things that have been on my mind…","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"March 30, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A few weeks ago we went to visit our old sponsors. It's something most Lao people are familiar with, having an American family adopt us or help bring us over from the refugee camps. Over time, we grew up and moved away, while most of them passed away.","rel":"","context":"In "Lao Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Lao Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/lao-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/bvong_reunion_09.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3917,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/manophet-lonely-buffalo\/","url_meta":{"origin":22235,"position":2},"title":"Manophet: Lonely Buffalo","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"May 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman in Laos, Manophet, whose life story is pretty amazing.\u00a0As a\u00a0farmer, monk, soldier, singer, translator, teacher, and father, his life was full of triumph and tragedy, that should make us all think about our own selfish desires and priorities. 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You're probably wondering, what's a party going to do to solve most of the problems in the world?\u00a0 Probably not much of anything, but the ability to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lao Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Lao Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/category\/lao-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/w_bvong_pix_las_ball_09.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1097,"url":"https:\/\/www.b-vong.com\/journal\/poverty\/","url_meta":{"origin":22235,"position":5},"title":"Poverty","author":"Boon.Vong","date":"August 27, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"A tad bit sunny and warm, but in the shade there's this lovely breeze coming in from the mountains and hills of Xieng Khouang. Dozing off sitting outside, listening to the sounds of chicks and the mother hen, pecking around the airport. Hi-tech and modern, this is not. 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