Many years ago I was scheduled to go to India for work. The trip would have involved a business class flight, many weeks in a 5-star hotel, a driver, and unlimited American food options. Right before I was set to leave, budget changes caused that trip to be canceled and would never be rescheduled. At the time it was very disappointing as I had been excited to follow in the footsteps of so many of my peers and go to India to work with our overseas staff. What I would come to realize down the road is that I was never meant to see India like that. My destiny with India was set to be much different, but of course, I didn't know that at that time. In my dozen trips to India, I've mostly stayed with family, and only rarely have I stayed in a hotel. We have stayed in some nice hotels, none anywhere near the caliber I would have stayed at as a business traveler. That has given me the opportunity to see and experience things in India that I may not have otherwise seen.
Having traveled around like an Indian citizen, I've learned more about the culture and standards than most visitors would ever do. I've ridden around on the back of a motorcycle, taken countless auto rickshaw rides, and walked the crowded and dusty streets. I've seen all walks of life from the elderly ladies who sit outside temples begging for money to the elite driving high-end sports cars. India has a huge separation of class and although there is a lot of middle-tier people who work decent jobs, it is the many who live in the slum areas that always strike me as the most tragic. You see their camps set up all over with the tarp coverings and people outside cooking and kids playing in the dirt. I've witnessed this level of poverty all over India, and although it feeds the stereotype of 'poor India', it is a reality that has stuck with me as I examine my own level of life and success. It's impossible to appreciate what you have until you really understand and see for yourself how others live.
Although I have written extensively about my feelings of isolation and how being a caucasian person in India has impacted my feelings on growing up in a predominately caucasian area, I have been treated almost exclusively with a high level of respect and genuine curiosity during my travels. It can be intimidating to be an only one of anything in large groups of something else, but I can honestly say that I have next to never felt scared or in any type of danger. Even amongst my Indian relatives, I am likely one of the few Americans they have ever seen/known/been around, but yet they have consistently gone out of their way to address my comfort and understanding. They have put my needs well above theirs in virtually every scenario and if they have any ill feelings have never shown that to me or acted in a way that made me feel like they didn't want me around. It is for this reason that I am grateful for all the experiences I have had attending weddings and holiday events where we gather in large groups. Although challenging for me being so accustomed to personal space and a different level of comfort, I have a very in-depth first-hand knowledge of what it is like to live amongst Indian people.
Being raised as a practicing Catholic, we attended Church every Sunday and I went to a Catholic school for 8 years, so I feel like I know what it is like to live a fairly religious life. As an adult, I've become more relaxed in my practice, but still have a fairly high regard for the faith. Being exposed to the Hindu faith has given me a whole new view on religion. Although on the surface, the religions are very different, at the core they are quite the same. The one thing that always strikes me about Hinduism is how deeply rooted the faith is in their everyday life. Countless festivals are celebrated primarily in religious ways with much praying, rituals, fasting, etc. and everyday activities like buying a car or even getting a haircut and sweeping the floor, the beliefs of Hinduism is deeply ingrained. For me personally, I can respect and admire the dedication and passion for these activities without feeling like I need to get too deeply engaged myself. I've participated in many rituals and have enjoyed witnessing the events, but many of the practices and beliefs end up being a bit too much for me. Nonetheless, exposure to a different religion has been beneficial to me in developing my own spirituality.
As I shake off the remaining symptoms of jet lag, I sit here satisfied that I was included in so many fun and interesting events of the last few weeks in India. I look back on the pictures and recall so many moments from this trip that have brought me joy and will continue to pop back up in my mind until the next adventure. For now, the realization that my bed is the absolutely perfect place to be is my best takeaway from this trip.
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