Life and our hands

My trip has sure had an impact on my life. I've realized so much that I'm not confident I could tell you about every detail skillfully that has made an impression, but I will try to tell a few.

First, it is no secret that our media and the media of the world plays such a strong role with our international relationships, our vote, our travel destinations, our money (For example, whether we buy a foreign car or American), and our minds - so many things that we probably don't even realize how tainted our attitudes towards other nations are developed by the media alone. Of course they are - to most of us that's all we have to go on, right?

Pick up a newspaper here (good luck finding English) & you will read a report about Iraq and Saddam with a completely different view point than what you'll read off of yahoo news (keep in mind, the example I read once here in Egypt was authored by a European), etc. Newspapers from all over, Nepal, India, show stories that are so horrible and unbelievable yet I've never seen reports of in the states. Who is reporting things correctly? Who's to say that the U.S. media is correct and everyone else is wrong - well, that doesn't make sense to me. In my opinion, Americans are the least universal and internationally inexperienced of all western countries. You could blame it on all the water around us but don't.

Most of the places I have visited on my trip, I had a completely different impression of prior to arriving versus during and after my stay. I thought Egypt would be unsafe when come to find out, the only thing unsafe here is crossing the street. I thought Greece would be romantic and enchanting - certainly not alone - HOT would be the first word that comes to my mind now. I thought Nepal would be wonderfully beautiful and prestine with Buddhist meditation retreats bountiful. Slightly off-key on this one; there's absolutely no fresh air except in the mountains which is usually impossible to see from Kathmandu due to the pollution and although I found other retreats to choose from, they were only for 3 days (although I will say there are lots of educational opportunities but w/o a friend informing you, you wouldn't hear about them!). However there's no lack of Tibetans including the refugee camp conveniently hidden from tourists (many of you wouldn't be able to stomach the truth about these kinds of places)! Austria I felt would be terribly expensive but quaint & beautiful. I was right on the "quaint & beautiful" but I lucked out on the "expensive" piece. India, on the other hand, I had no idea what to expect - this country threw me from the moment I stepped off the plane. In addition, I believed I would have to reserve myself from even touching any animal I see on the street for fear of rabies, dog bite, whatever! Instead with one exception (don't worry, nothing happened), I have been met with some of the kindest, gentlest (ABSOLUTELY gentle that she wouldn't eat food out of my hand - I had to set it down on the ground - Leh, India), most sweetest animals I have ever seen. I will never forget the "friends" I have met along this journey.

So many places in the world that are their own world and you know what - until you go visit for yourself and get out of your stupid tourist bus, you'll never really know what these people are like. The people on the street, in their small, tiny make-shift businesses of 5 ft X 5ft X 5ft (or smaller) selling anything from batteries, kleenex to cell phones or even copies and candy have some of the biggest smiles; they enjoy their lives and are proud of their country, proud of the neighborhood they grew up in and wouldn't leave it for anything in the world - not even a chance to see America, some have said! Nothing could tear them away from their family (because family is the single most important thing to these cultures), their homes, and their community - Nothing! It is things like this that separates us, westerners, from the rest of the world and until we can appreciate or understand their "world", we will never be able to communicate on the same level. We can never comprehend what they represent and understand their perspectives. These things hinder all of us from coming together and thus, we look down upon these creatures and ask ourselves over and over, "Why?".

Speaking of family and those around us that are special in our lives. . .
I receive emails from some of you stating that you read my blog often (if not every day). Some of you maybe even daydreaming of what it would be like to just let go of your lives - let go of those things that force you to hold your jobs in order to make a living or make you keep coming home every day because you have mouths to feed and bills to pay. I want to say this: Choice! It's all about the choices we make in our lives and the sacrifices we're willing to make in order to live our lives to their fullest because one day at any moment, all of that could be taken away. No, it WILL be taken away. We don't last forever. I thank every day when I wake up that I have another day to look forward to. One day in the future, I don't know when, that won't happen like all the rest. So it should be important to all of us to ask ourselves, "Is this what I had in mind when I was young?"

Life slips us by; it just strolls us along down the sidewalk leading us by our hand ever so gently; soothing, without us knowing. We gladly oblige her thinking to our lazy selves, "yea, this is easy"; I don't have to do anything because if I pull at her, things get more difficult. Life tells us if we react against her she will promise complications, friction & society will look down upon us. Oh, this sounds bad so happily we continue to stroll along this seemingly endless sidewalk. Life tells us we need important jobs that regardless of whether we're happy, we just need to ensure we pay our bills. Life tells us we need to go to college, get a real job and marry before 30; have kids. And Life tells us we can't fully enjoy her until we're retired! To some of you this is a joke for you have exceeded your own expectations and are enjoying life outside of this realm. Congratulations. But to others, this is reality and you may be even thinking, what the hell is Lora talking about?

Look, all I know is we have a choice. It is our choice and if we speak back at this computer and say, "No, I don't have a choice; my rent is this and my car payment is that", well, you are still mistaken for we all are guilty of putting ourselves into her hands at some level of expense. For all that I have sacrificed and given up in order to travel the world/find answers/find myself, I don't want to hear anyone else say they can't do it also, for whatever reason! Its your choice and I hope you are truly happy.