Now for something a little lighter.  I’ve been passing the time while under the weather catching up with the Digging for the Truth videos with host Josh Bernstein…my new crush.  I’ll tell you, a little time with him cheers me right up.  Handsome for sure, but it’s his love of archeology that has brought us together, unraveling mysteries from the past and setting out on adventures with his trusty explorer’s hat. One website has affectionately dubbed him “Indiana Jew”. I enjoy his presentation of the material, as produced as it is, but especially his sunny, relaxed manner. His interest seems so genuine. He is no slouch, with a degree from Cornell and his own survival school in Colorado.  But he sure seems to be enjoying himself. Seldom do I recall anyone so comfortable in his own skin, no matter how miserable conditions are inside a stifling tomb, slogging through a jungle or caught in a blizzard – even as he’s admitting to us that he’s a bit nervous.  Everything, I know, will come out all right in the end, although, the greater truth is there must have been terrible heat, stomach bugs and real danger in making the shows.

 I must have missed the series when it first aired on History Channel. Searching for videos on the Anasazi, the ancient Pueblo Indians of the Southwest, I found the first season of Digging for the Truth.  I’d been reading on the subject, but here was new information, and new theories to consider on their disappearance.  Perhaps the focus on a violent end and/or cannibalism was a little heavy, but all in all, it was balanced and thoughtful.  And the visuals were wonderful. And Josh conducted himself very well, I thought.

 It was the episode on the Lemba people of Africa, perhaps one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, that hooked me. When Josh visited Jerusalem to investigate “evidence”, he stopped by the Mount of Olives, showing where his grandparents and great-grandparents were buried, and leaving small pebbles on their stones. Just a quick scene before moving on, but he had me. Every time he reaches out to shake the hand of one of his local consultants, or hushes his voice in a church or temple, when he takes off his hat, sometimes revealing hat hair, I feel like a proud mother. He can joke around and laugh at himself, and doesn’t seem embarrassed to reveal boyish enthusiasm for digging a snow cave or trying on knight’s armor — nerdish qualities, in today’s vernacular. Then he asks thoughtful questions, and shows serious respect for the beliefs of others, and I have to give credit for having matured through his experiences.

 He’s a beautiful man who has said he has “the greatest job in the world.”, now on to another series with another focus.  I’m sure his life hasn’t been all fun and sunshine; if you live long enough, there have to be shadows. But some are blessed, by their good fortune, and their attitude towards their good fortune, and their large, happy hearts that want to share with others.

BTW, Don knows all about this, and he's not too worried.  Also, I get girl crushes, too, sometimes, like Shakira.