The sky is fucking crazy!
by Mike
From sitting in a monastery with Buddhist monks and going to mass with fundamentalist Catholics, I learned that the world religions have a heck of a lot in common, mainly the core values of peace and kindness to others.
From the poverty of Myanmar, the excessive luxury of our hosts in Jakarta and the chosen simplicity of our hosts in southwest France, I learned that we (most people reading this) live like this:
Time=>Money=>Food
but we could live like this and be very happy:
Time=>Food
From Linda’s reaction at the chateau I learned the value of packing a lumberjack outfit. (click to read more)
From the rice paddies of Bali and the temples of Bagan and the high dive in Chiang Mai and the olive farm in Coaraze and the woods on the grounds of the chateau, I learned that peace is in the present.
From Riana’s family I learned to look harder at what we have in our pantries, in our garden and growing in the neighborhood before I decide to go buy something. I learned to plan meals based on what we have, not just what we want.
From the slums of Bangkok and the deep roads in Bali and just going to Myanmar I learned that fear is not a valid reason to not do something. In fact, fear is a symptom of some falsehood I’ve been programmed to believe.
From the slums of Bangkok and the streets of Yangon I learned that smiling at strangers is a form of peace-making, and from the busy streets of Nice, France, I learned how alienating it is when someone looks at you then quickly looks away or just keeps their head down and walks without looking at anyone. After seeing how people acted in Myanmar it seemed like everyone in Nice had some kind of social illness.
From the fundamentalist Catholic family I learned that you can still make a powerful emotional connection with people on the other side of the social/political spectrum if you are generous with your attention, if you listen in order to understand them and forget about the intention of talking about yourself. Identity is an addiction.
From Ko Lanta I learned it’s harder to find your way onto a squid-fishing boat than you would think.
From the tribal hilltowns in Bali to the intentionally-designed rustic life of the Catholic back-to-the-landers, I learned that lifestyles I’d thought were lost are actually accessible, here, now, under our noses; they’re simply different versions of our own lives.
From the volcano and the airport delays and from Against the Stream by Noah Levine, I learned that anger is a choice. It’s an ember that we want to throw, but picking it up will mean burning ourselves first. Best to leave it alone.
From Riana and the fundamentalist Catholic family and Claude and Margarite I learned that eating is a political act and gardening can be revolutionary.
From our hosts in Jakarta I learned that workers need to earn a wage that gives them the opportunity to improve their life, if they so choose.
From Riana’s family I learned that it’s easy to be generous if you believe in abundance.
And from all of it I learned that I still love traveling, it’s still the best thing I can do for myself.
Quick note: Those on the RSS feed might have seen a post about the favela tour. I was re-uploading that post and accidentally broadcasted it. Sorry!
Published on May 11, 2010
at 9:05 pm.
4 comments
Thank you for posting the lessons you’ve learned. I enjoyed reading them and appreciate the reminder to be grateful.
it’s good to sit and reflect on all that you have written here
You have learned a LOT, cousin. ;-) What’s interesting is seeing how you incorporate it into your life. Love the no-electricity nights! We have those often.