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Location: Home.
Listening: The West Wing.

Watching The West Wing, as I do every Wednesday night after Enterprise. While every episode is very thought-provoking for me (which is why I watch--it's one of the most intelligent shows I've seen on television), this one is proving especially so. This episode deals in part with an American reporter who has been kidnapped by rebels in the Congo while covering a story. Per usual, CJ, the President's Press Secretary, stepped up and took on the Congolese attache. Per usual, she is a god to me. What got me thinking, however, is the situation itself. The missing reporter's wife is waiting in the White House to find out what actions they will be taking on her husband's behalf. While I believe that it is impossible for anyone to say exactly how they would react to any situation until they find themselves in that situation, I feel confident in saying that, were Peter or one of my friends missing in a foreign country, I would not be waiting in a government office. Perhaps it's because my faith in the government is severely limited or perhaps it's because I don't believe in waiting around anywhere for anything. When I'm forced to, it makes me nothing less than crazy. Come hell or high water, I would go find them. The power to effect change in such a situation depends greatly on many variables--personal finance, contacts, etc.--but the power to get on a plane and walk into a jungle or the desert is still, thankfully, in reach of just about everyone. A pair of sturdy boots, a backpack, and as much cash as I could get in my pocket would be as much as I would need. Should the situation arise, I cannot think of anything that would be able to stop me. I'd be long gone before they thought to tell me not to go. I wouldn't be able to sit and wait. It simply wouldn't be an option. Perhaps that makes me impulsive, foolish, and unnecessarily dangerous to myself and others. It's not a part of my nature I can change.