Here There and Everywhere

Intlxpatr Turns Twenty Years!

Welcome to our virtual celebration, old friends and new.

Twenty years ago on this very day, newly arrived in Kuwait, I joined a very lively, edgy and welcoming blogging scene. It was frightening to me, but I had my reasons. There were bloggers I loved reading – I started by commenting on their posts. It was like a salon, topics and views and opinions everywhere, and also some facts.

There is an old story about Martin Luther, the priest who nailed his ideas for a better church on the door, and while the church didn’t change, the community in which he lived was willing to entertain his thoughts, and slowly, things DID change. When asked why he would take the risk – being called heritical could end to death – he said (in German), “I cannot other.”

Stepping into the blogworld was stepping outside a comfort zone and expressing thoughts some might think better left unspoken.

C’mon in. Here There and Everywhere has always worked to be a safe place for exploring new ideas, disruptive thoughts and how to make things better. We’ve got great virtual refreshments and a safe place to vent 😊.

There’s a little bit of Soused Apple Cake left over from yesterday’s Fish Fry.

For those who, like me, have to be careful, we also have some relatively healthy finger foods:

Grab something to drink 😊

I miss our great discussions, and I miss the liveliness of the old blogging scene. I’m not so comfortable with the arguments and name-calling I find in other outlets, nor the need to be wary of those who are monitoring – and who are they, anyway?

Meanwhile, a good friend mentioned recently how political I have gone.

Honestly, in these times, even the apolitical are speaking out. I heard a priest today talk about his anger at the hijacking of the gospel, used for vengence and not for love. I found it very brave, those strong words. If we don’t speak out bravely now, the crushing forces seeking vengence and control create a world most of us won’t want to live in.

I want a government who subsidizes health care for ALL. I want science to recommend vaccines which improve our quality of life and save lives. I want corporations that have standards to meet for air and water and environmental protection. I want our police to protect the weak against the bullying and violence of those who think might makes right. I want to welcome the stranger, creating new textures and patterns in the fabric of our nation. I want every person’s vote to count. I want responsible, accountable, educated leadership, and congressional decisions created by working together to achieve doable compromises.

“Ich kann nicht anders.”

As a post script – this is my 5,900 published post 😊.

September 6, 2026 Posted by intlxpatr | Adventure, Aging, Blogging, Character, Charity, Civility, Climate Change, Cold Drinks, Community, Counter-terrorism, Cross Cultural, ExPat Life, Food, Interconnected, Law and Order, Leadership, Living Conditions, Political Issues, Relationships, Social Issues, Survival, Values | 20th Blogaversary, Blogaversary | Leave a comment