Nothing Lasts

Did you hear about the earthquake in Thailand a few days ago? It crossed my feed because my friend Toby lives in Chiang Mai.

But this...this is upsetting. The White Temple—Wat Rong Khun—suffered damage during the quake.

That's an incredible place in Chiang Rai, created by Ajarn Chalermchai. I stopped by twice in 2011 during MariesWorldTour.com.

The temple can and will be repaired, as noted now by its creator.

I love the White Temple but have been a little confused by the earthquake. Isn't everything fleeting and impermanent, much like the huge fee I just lost to AirBnB for changing a long-term booking? Like the money I lost trying to get the leaking-oil-tank-house in Jersey City Heights? Like the story about the two monks at the river, one of which picks up and carries an old woman across? "I can't believe you touched that woman." "Oh, are you still carrying her? I put her down on the other side."

There is a headless ceramic zebra on my windowsill, to try to remind me that nothing lasts, things break, and little treasures are as impermanent as life itself. I'm currently letting go of my idea of a summer in Paris, at least for 2014. Maybe next year.

And like we see with the White Temple...nothing lasts. Including temple damage. You can even fix it.

I've put some photos of the White Temple in this Golden Triangle photo album from 2011.

You can't get a photo of the murals, but this is from the souvenir book.