Pause to think a moment

             My cousin e-mailed me just now and asked me, are there any German kids in your school? A simple enough question(no I go to school on base so no German kids). There are kids who speak German fluently, but no Germans. Which got me thinking, what defines a German? What makes a German a German? Is it fabulous cooking skills? Their up-bringing? The culture they live in? How they act? Where they live, how they live? Where they were born? What language they speak?  How do we label someone as an "American" or a "German" or any other place? What do we base it on and is it different for some than for others? 

      

              Should we always label someone as "German" or any other place? Why do we label them? Does it make us feel better about ourselves? Does it give us a sense of patriotism? 

             These are things to think about. When even the smallest of things gets you pondering big questions like these, don't ignore them. Pause to think, then share your questions (and sometimes thoughts) with others. Who knows, they could change the world (although I don't think these questions will).

        

                                            Pondering, Happiness, and Hope,

                                                  Ren