a journal of discovery, conviction, and walking with the poor and orphaned of Rwanda
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Jack Hanna's Place; Golden Monkeys
The Crew and I recently drove up past Musanze to hang out at Jack Hanna's place. For those of you who cannot stay up for either Letterman or Leno (and perhaps presume that Johnny Carson is still alive and working), Jack Hanna is America's Favorite (celebrity) Zookeeper. (He taught Steve Irwin, the Crocidile Hunter, everything he knew about entertaining with animals.) Jack is a good friend of the von Trapps and Maggie Ritchie, and thus our ticket in. Jack built this wonderful retreat in his personal effort to enjoy, honor and preserve the endangered Mountain Gorillas. This trip, however, we went off to track down the rare Golden Monkeys. The flowers in the foreground are fresh cut.
Bill & Melinda Gates Slept here (I presume, because their photo taken here is hanging on the wall).
Ask Norm Rosen for his Golden Monkey lecture. Too much interesting stuff for me to type.
I am reluctant to do the Bio thing. Nothing "about me" should be the focus here, except as this open journal may resonate with (or provoke) your own thoughts. But I offer this much: After 30 years as an attorney, I am now a typical Halftimer who is determined to move beyond success to significance. Inspired and convicted by three sons (Tommy, Nathan & Wesley) who live passionate and adventurous lives, I am now privileged to participate in the exciting social changes and development occurring in Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa, hoping to empower the desperately poor. But I must be very clear on this: I am just your average coward. Suffering and sacrifice are very foreign concepts to me. However, I now believe that life comfortably ensconced in a safe cocoon misses out on too much of what might be learned, experienced, and shared with others in the Majority World, many of whom are crying out in desperate need, and some of whom beam with smiles and contentment such as I have seldom seen. I want to know them and their lives.