John Gunter

Thoughts on Life and Living

My most read posts. . . (at the 6 month mark of this blog)

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If you have not read it, this post builds upon the one I published on Wednesday. . . 6 months in. . . thoughts on this blog (and THANK YOU for reading)

American friends
Here are some of my American friends (Michael, Beth, Meredith, Sam, Kelsey, and Sean) at dinner this weekend. New camera for me, so I was just messing around with it. . .

To commemorate this 6 month anniversary of sorts (see last post), I thought it would be fun to let you know the most read articles that have appeared on this blog.  It’s a strange, yet cool thing to wake up in Asia and see when people have been reading and interacting with my thoughts in America and beyond, so I find this kind of thing fun to look at.

Again, THANK YOU for being a part of this blog!

This site lets me know the general locations of readers and the pages people are reading, but DOES NOT tell me who is reading, web addresses or any other specific information on people viewing my site (so don’t worry!).  The only way I know for certain who is reading is by the comments left on the blog itself and/or feedback on Facebook.

On the sidebar of this site, johngunter.com, it does have a section for my “Popular” posts.  However, this actually is telling which posts have the most comments left.  It does not indicate which have actually been read the most.

Anyway, here are the most read articles from my first 6 months of blogging. . .

  1. Let me tell you about my friend, Tracey. . . and her current journey
  2. Mom’s laugh and sacrificial heart
  3. The best and worst of my life in Asia
  4. The 5 types of people you see on LONG airplane flights
  5. Of all the weddings. . . this one was the most special
  6. My worst travel day ever!!!
  7. Contentment. . . my on-going struggle
  8. My most awkward 20 minutes. . . and culturally rich weddings
  9. Thoughts on life in the midst of a tragic death
  10. “this is it”. . . 3 pictures of contentment from my life

Contrarily, here are a few posts that very few people read, but enjoyed writing nonetheless. . .

  1. Alaskan beauty and the image of God
  2. An embarrassing blunder and a vital l life lesson. . .
  3. Betsy’s wedding gift and sacrifice
  4. Mad Men, Hemingway, and the futility of sin
  5. Cherishing life through three realities from this summer. . .

I hope you have a great weekend!

6 months in. . . thoughts on this blog (and THANK YOU for reading)

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John Gunter writing his blog
Both angles during writing this blog in my “donut” shop today. . .

As I type this, I am sitting in the corner of a local coffee/donut shop here in the area of town where I live.  It was the first of its kind here, so I have frequented it since my arrival last December.  It is here that I do a lot of paper/computer work, since I do not have a traditional office to work out of in this city.  It is also here that I have written many of the posts from this blog, so I guess it is appropriate that I write this one from this place.

Last week I crossed the 6 month mark of writing on this site.  When I began back in April, I kept reading how the 6 month mark of writing blogs is critical.  Most give up prior to this point for various and sundry reasons, mainly
people just get bored and demotivated to continue blogging.  I’m grateful to say that this is definitely not the case with me. [Read more…]

Blessings from abroad. . . both trivial and significant

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McDonald's China and the guys

Top: the beautiful sight of the Golden Arches coming to life. Bottom: Michael, Scott, Noah, and I at a local restaurant.

Beth Gregory was the first to notice.  Michael Gregory was  first to confirm it.  Then it happened.  With the speed of Usain Bolt, word spread around our area of of this city that the famed Golden Arches of McDonald’s are making their way to town.  Since that magical moment, the American guys of this area have checked in at the construction site and reported back to everyone else daily.

McDonald’s will open up around 200 yards from my apartment complex by the end of this month.  I know this sounds crazy to be excited about this, and it is.  The food here is terrific.  I am fortunate to live in a region with some of the most creative, flavorful, and delicious food on the planet.  However, sometimes you just want some that tastes like you remember it as a kid.  McDonald’s is such a taste. I’m sure we will all be sick of it within the first few weeks of opening, but for now, I feel like I am five again waiting for the Christmas where I will get my first bike. McDonald’s is a blessing from abroad.

Now from the trivial to the significant. . . [Read more…]

Awesome surprise birthday and racing cars . . . (video included)

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John Gunter, Matt Laughlin, and Travis Todd
“The Winner’s Circle”. . . not really, but I did want to take a picture on the winner’s block

After spending a lonely birthday in Bangkok hammering Krispy Kreme doughnuts and thinking about life, I returned to the city in Asia where I lived until last January for a week of meetings.  Upon arrival, my belated birthday took off in high gear. . . literally.

It started off with a dinner and cake with two of my favorite families on the planet, the Todds and the  the Laughlins.  It was a great time.  However, this was only the beginning. . .

Two days ago, Travis Todd and Matt Ashton (visiting with his work this week) were very vague about what we needed to schedule in the afternoon.  We were planning on eating a quick lunch.  However, upon walking up to the parking lot, [Read more…]

Rabies shots for all!. . . (video included)

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John Gunter at his rabies shots
Me in front of the clinic where people go for rabies shots and all kinds of other like stuff.

If you have not read my previous post, “Lego Land and flying Bat Battles”, then please click here. This post picks up where that one left off. . .

Battle worn from two seemingly successful skirmishes with our uninvited guests, the disgusting little bat(s), I retreated to my room and Rankin slept in theirs. Morgen, meanwhile, surfed the internet for exposure to bats. She found out the following:

  • If infants are in the same room with a bat, you have to assume rabies
  • If a sleeping (or drunk) adult is in the same room with a bat, you have to assume rabies
  • Rabies is 100% lethal if not dealt with within the first 10 days of the virus infecting humans

My good friend who works at the CDC, Dr. Eric Tai, confirmed what Morgen had read, as well as their Los Angeles based pediatrician. Suffice it to say, we were in the emergency room getting the children inoculated the next day. I was going to do the same since I had been sleeping in an enclosed bat ridden room at my parents in Atlanta two short weeks earlier. However, the Michigan doctor told me that since I was past the 10 day window from initial exposure in Atlanta, it was too late for me. If I had contracted it, I was a goner. Not what you want to hear [Read more…]

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