I'd have been a philosopher

In a conversation quite a while ago I was told that the only true motivation is self motivation. While I agree with the thought that you can't make someone be motivated, I think the person that passed this information on to me missed the point of the author of that quote. While it is true that only ones self can motivate one to accomplish a goal, there are motivating factors that cause that to happen. In using these motivating factors one can give someone else the tools to motivate themselves to do something. So rather than give up trying to get people motivated because, taken as it is written that is what one might do, use the statement as a starting point to draw your own conclusions and theories. I think that what the author of this particular statement meant was poorly worded and it failed in directing readers toward the truth, which is there is no such thing as selfless motivation. This seems to be the truth to me, but sometimes the truth escapes those who choose not to see it.

Facebook Again?!?!

In the past few months, I have come to like facebook. I have used it to check in on a few old friends and to even send a few people messages saying things that I was too young to have realized back in the day. So the real reason that I am posting today is that my Dad has signed up for facebook, as well as hi5 (Asia's facebook), and apparantly all other social networking sites. He is looking for 10 old friends. 10 friends that he hasnt talked to since 1975 when he and his family left everything they had in the world in the hopes of a better life. Just for some perspective, I looked up a friend from college and got about 600 results on facebook. I haven't taken the time to scroll through all of them to find Patrick, but I will after hearing my Dad's story. He gets 417,000 results. So now a few more numbers for you all. over 900,000 Vietnamese "went missing" during the years that we all in the US have learned to be the Vietnam war. Nine hundred friggin thousand. I have an uncle that did not leave the country (and by uncle I mean not my dad's brother, but someone that I would call uncle, related in some way but I am not sure of how). After the US bailed, the army came knocking and told most males over the age of 14 that they got to join up. So my Uncle refused and paid for his decision by having acid poured into his eyes, and apparently he was not the worst off of guys that didn't want to take part in the madness. So my point is, if they are still in Vietnam, they are 51 years old and may not have the ability to go online due to what happened to them or because they are in an underdeveloped nation. If they are able in those departments, what percentage of 51 year olds actually take part in online networking? Pretty much I don't think my dad will ever know what happened to his old friends. He barely remembers their names, but has lots of memories of being kids together, of school math team competitions, of soccer games, of hitching rides to school on tanks. He isn't looking to drop by their houses or to invite them out for a drink, he just wants to see that they grew up and made a life for themselves. I will never ignore or decline a friend request on facebook again. My dad has taught me, through this, that its not what you remember about people or a particular person that matters. What matters is that you should make yourself visible because of the guy that has fond memories of playing soccer. The guy that you didn't really hang out with, but when he closes his eyes and remembers being on that field he can still see you running in front of him at practice. You should join facebook and enter your school and graduation year so that guy can say "geesh, whatever happened to that guy?" and see. So join facebook or myspace or whatever so you can be found and seen and remembered, if only for my dad who is the guy that will never know what happened to any of his classmates. There were 120 kids in his class. He was one of 11 guys. After 5 years of looking, as far as he knows he is the only one left.