In the Name of Change
			       	 by
                        S. Toon Phapphayboun

	Trying to discuss all the changes will definitely turn this
posting into a novella, so to prevent us from losing anymore members, I am
going to try something very different.  Following is a list of flashwords
categorized in the 'Before' and 'After' columns.  I hope these words will
stimulate your imagination and critical thinking skills about how we
individually deal with the changes/challenges we encounter in our daily
lives.

	BEFORE				AFTER
1. clothes that fit			clothes that don't fit
2. in school				drop out of school
3. accented English			accentless English
4. natural eyebrows			shaved/no eyebrows
5. sex after marriage			sex whenever
6. natural colored eyes			contact colored eyes
7. average				top of the rank
8. marriage 				divorce
9. real breasts				silicon breasts
10. external beauty			inner beauty
11. faithfulness			adultery
12. conformity				individuality
13. complacency				challenges
14. small dreams			big dreams
15. determination			goalessness
16. remedial education			Ph.D.
17. silence				assertiveness
18. live-in parents			nursing-home parents
19. sharing				'dutch' style
20. monolingual				bi, tri, quadrolingual
21. Lao language			English only
22. morh lum				rock'n roll
23. lum vong				macarena
24. sharing				selfishness
25. Laotianism				Americanism

	Each 'Before' and 'After' can function as a topic of discussion.
The imagination and/or interpretation are left to you, but if we ever
table a discussion on any of these flashwords, it will take forever and
ever because each of us in interpreting or reacting to these words will
bring in our own opinions and experiences.  Hence, we will not agree on
some if not all of these.  Some of us might think the 'Before' is better
than the 'After'.  A case in point here is number 18.  I will never ever
send my parents to a nursing home in their later years because that's not
part of my upbringing.  They have taken a great care of me; in their time
of need, the least I can do is to take care of them for the rest of their
lives.  Of course, some of you might disagree with me on this issue and
others as well.  Doing so is only a further proof that we each are
different individual and we will view things differently from one another.
Therefore, for the above issues, what's a good change for you maybe not be
a good one for me.  Remember the phrase, 'One's man trash is another
man's treasure' and realize that it is quite alright to disagree because
disagreeing enhances our individualism.  As a new comer to any society,
the challenge is trying to assimilate because successful assimilation will
allow us to choose or not to choose which will in turn sharpen your
ability to distinguish between the good, the bad, and/or the ugly in this
world no matter where you are.

	May your 'light' guide you to the right path.  In the name of
change, I leave you with the above words.  Choose them wisely.