Message from the Editor

Naghmeh Bashar

See the Invisible

once read that the more things we see around us, even beautiful and wonderful things, the more invisible they become to us. It is human nature, I suppose, to take so much of the world’s beauty and wonder for granted. I saw rain on a weekly basis and plush vegetation in abundance in China and did not see its beauty and importance to the extent I see it now since my return to San Diego.

San Diego’s blue skies, its sunsets, the nightly stars, family, old friends, effective communication, and the ultimate number of choices everywhere I go—I didn’t see those as clearly as I now do since my return from China. Also, what we may already be taking for granted, as it now seems to be an absolute necessity in our lives, would have easily been considered part of a fairytale and magic only a few years ago—seeing and talking to people over the computer and in different countries, calling long distance from anywhere over Wifi (for free), transmitting photos and information in real time, and sharing our lives with one another no matter the distance and time. These were the tools and the means to my emotional and educational survival in a foreign country. But even with having such magic to keep me present and connected, so many of the possible resources were blocked. What greater appreciation one experiences for all that is available to us in the United States.