Common Relativity

What is normal? It's funny how travelling brings out the ponderer in you, I guess it's all that time in-between places that gets the brain churning - end of needless intro. But just to think as I travel, that the definition of normal - of status quo - is so different when you move away from your own little group. Customs, humor (or lack thereof), ways of passing the time, threshold for considering yourself bored ("ok - this is a drag"), it's amazing. Just step out and move a little, and however flexible you think yourself to be or think you had learned to be - life experience takes you by surprise. Flexibility of course, helps overcome some of these relativities; it's not easy to admit that your way of life only means something to you. You're abnormal when you are away from your state of normalcy (what a pleasant thought).

But on another less analytical note, here's me and my experience in this regard, specifically today:

It's been three days since I've been travelling in Guwahati, Assam in North East India and to say the least it's different from what I'm used to in my comfort zone. Not that the folks I've been with have been anything less than extraordinary in their hospitality. it's just that well, you miss what you are used to. So after a couple days of roaming around buses and cycle rickshaws and humidity and meeting every Tom Dick and Harry who's involved with some sort of Christian work (I don't mean to disrespect them I'm just trying to put in words the business of a trip like this), it was time to step back and step out. I allowed myself a meal in an air conditioned restaurant - away from the world, away from stinky alleyways, away from the bustle, from squat down toilets - back almost in my own little life zone (maybe a tad bit of overcompensation, AC and all) and had a mini pig-out. These little joys cannot be explained sufficiently. One has to live it to truly experience the deep-seated satisfaction that an oasis like this brings.

But sorry, it's me here - back to analysis, less description. A thought came to me in this cool -aired haven: Even for me personally, what is normal is only defined by what I allow to become normal. Tracing my life back from years ago to present, maybe I have (but maybe it's just life) been actually trying consciously or unconsciously to make my sense of what I consider the basic needs of life a step above what it was yesterday. To restate that horrific run-on sentence, I'm trying to tell myself I'm better than I am. Or worse than I am. Not very clear, huh - These are just thoughts that tend to flutter by that may or may not be of consequence.

At the end I guess one thing is clear. Normalcy being relative, flexibility rules the day. Christian humility requires flexibility - not just mouthing thank-yous and smiles and then badmouthing the whole situation, but being willing to step outside the zone into something vastly different knowng that just that act alone will bring fruit and joy to others. A little vague? Well, this is my Blog, you go get your own. I'm better than having to explain things to you. Hm....