Fear.... by Jamil Shawwa

Frasier, the sitcom is one of my all time comedy sitcoms favorites, that is up to the eighths season. After that, Frasier became a dull and very depressing soap opera. Any way, in one of the nice episodes in season four, I believe, the team, Frasier, Niles-his brother, Martin- his dad, Daphne- the health care provider, and another friend of hers, go to a ski lodge out of Seattle, Washington State. In a scene, where the group setting around sipping hot beverage, I think they said that it was made of Rum and butter, they start serenading about how people really should not be afraid in life, that they should take chances, and it does not matter if they win or lose as long as they try. In one of the memorable lines, the father, Martin Crane says and I quote " it is not the times that you have made an ass of yourself, but it is the times that you never tried" the character, Martin Crane is 110% right. His son in the series, Frasier, before that line, had also a line which said," a weak heart never wins a fair lady". Not sure, why I am writing about fear now, but it is amazing how many talents have been buried because they did not trust their guts, they did not go with their instincts and they just sat aside watching the world go by. In business as in life we always say when people hesitate to do something or ask for something, what is the worst that could happen, a No answer. We must be afraid to survive, sometimes. It is normal to be afraid, but not timid. It is normal to calculate but not over calculate. I look back at my own experience and Marty and Frasier Crane lines apply to many stations in my life. What is the solution, nothing, just keep going, be afraid but maybe be you need to know what are you afraid of, or realize that fear is part of life, part of being human. Once this recognition is done, fear will not disappear but it will probably be managed better. Again, why am I writing about fear now, not sure, maybe it is the snow fever and setting at home locked for four days.

America's camaraderie.....by Jamil Shawwa

I have to admit that before coming to America, I never felt of the so-called camaraderie. Probably it is my fault and not the fault of the area that I came from. However, as years go by and with no one telling you what you need to do or feel, as an American you have to feel the community that you live in, the camaraderie, the sense that you belong here and that you need to contribute and give back to the neighborhood that you live in, the state you reside in and the country that under it's flag you feel and breath freedom. This morning was a very small yet grande in it is meaning of what camaraderie means. we have been in Washington DC and the suburbs under snow blizzards for over 4 days, the city and the state are overwhelmed, they can not come by and plow the snow from the resident areas yet, they must and should start by the main streets, highways, and interstates, highways that connect the good old USA. Today, the neighbors started to clean up the street themselves, one neighbor had a little Deere tractor, the other had a snow removal machine, and they just started paving the way not for themselves only but for the whole neighbors. We are around 12 houses in this street that has been blocked by the snow from the main street that connect us with the outside world. I have to say that it was not my initiative, I just followed the lead, and I could not set still at home, watch my neighbors cleaning up the miss for all of us, and do nothing, though it was tempting to do nothing and stay warm in this weather. I was driven maybe by example but really, I wanted to help, I felt empowered when I went out there- with my shovel- in the cold and sweat it out. I felt that this is my neighborhood, my city, my state and my country and I have to give back to the good old USA even in a tiny tiny little thing.