SatJaDham Presents: "Different Perspective of Life" By Anousack (Sacki) Thammavongsa Now that we are living outside our own birthplace, what is the purpose do we seek in life? Back in Laos, life is a simple task between dusk until dawn. For most people, getting up early means being up and ready for a full day's work before the chicken crows in the morning. And all through the day, it is spent pretty much hunting and gathering food to feed the family. All in all, life means being able to survive day to day. There is no such thing as a life long plan. Being able to live to see the next day is a blessing itself. On the otherside of the world, however, we khon Lao seem to fare rather well in this fast pace society. Most of us do quite well in the materialistic ways, but is that what the meaning of life is? Do the materials we obtain make us happy? Since we are able to live comfortably in this foreign land, does Laos exists in our long term plan? How can we contribute to the successful future of Laos? >From a personal point of view, we need to form a stronger bond amongst us. Our culture is a precious one and we should not lose track of our origin. I feel that we should start by teaching our little brothers and sisters to be aware of where we came from before they become too Americanize. We should teach them to be proud of being a Lao. Even though we are not living in Laos, doesn't mean we just throw that valuable asset away as well. If we are successful in teaching our culture to the future generations, Laos will live forever within us. Maybe some day, life in Laos will be a reality, and when that happens, we shouldn't be a stranger to our own home land. If you have any comments, please send them to or post them in SCL. Thanks! Sacki