I am cursed with what I want to hope is not uncommon among ambitious, mobile, verging-on-or-already-type-A people of my generation: not quite being able to place myself in this world. In the past 10 years, I have lived in two foreign countries and half a dozen different parts of my own, and have traveled to just as many other parts of the world. I have done this some times out of curiosity, other times seeking a unique opportunity. Both of these being justified by the feeling that I never belonged where I was born and raised in the first place. The Washington, D.C. area is too work-obsessed, too self-absorbed, too cosmopolitanly pessimistic for any happy person to live out their days.
A dozen changes in social milieu later, my work-oriented, inward-looking, well-traveled and easily disappointed self still doesn’t have much desire to return to the Beltway culture. But surprise, all these years around the world only confirm that it is hard not to get sucked into the culture, attitude or emotional state surrounding you, no matter how much you want to disavow it.
And so my question is: how do I develop what I consider to be positive traits in the face of forces trying to break them down? How do I stay open-minded in the face of closed-mindedness? Patient in the presence of impatience? Respectful when being treated with disrespect?
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"And so my question is: how do I develop what I consider to be positive traits in the face of forces trying to break them down? How do I stay open-minded in the face of closed-mindedness? Patient in the presence of impatience? Respectful when being treated with disrespect?"
Complex questions you ask. The answers are not simple. Keeping positive traits in the face of forces trying to break them down is not something that comes whithout higher forces in play. Close mindedness and impatience and disrespect will not dissappear without a belief and confidence that you are a part of a bigger picture. You are where you are because of what you can do by just being. That is what we are called to do. Being who you are is all that you are expected to do. Being content in where you are is the first part of peace. I look forward to you discovering your part in the bigger picture. Keep your spirits up as you do what you were called to do.
I will be staying at the Quinta Real Hotel. I am making a trip to a sewing co-op Sunday afternoon and plan to head over to Olanchito after that. Sorry about the link to email thing, they made a change without me knowing. You can go to my retireinhonduras.com site and fill out the form under "tell me more" to email me otherwise I will look you up when I roll into town.
The perspective and encouragement are appreciated. And it was fun to see you in Olanchito.
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