We leave the USA in 13 days. Wednesday, September 8 we fly to Brussels, Belgium where Friday Douglas will meet with local port authorities with whom he will be doing business from Tashkent. I get to roam around Antwerp while he's working! Doug's cousin, David, lives in Rotterdam so we're going to meet up with him Saturday. Sunday we'll fly to Tashkent overnight and land early Monday morning. Our local sponsor, Jennifer, will meet us at the airport to make sure all goes smoothly.
In the meantime it is quite exciting.
I had another medical scare. I had to have another biopsy - benign!!! I had a peace about this but that didn't stop the "what if" thoughts from invading my mind. Worst case scenario, my medical clearance would have changed and Doug would have to be reassigned. I've been praying for discernment the last few weeks since I'll be living in a primarily Muslim country and learnig alot. I say that I had a peace about this because, I believe, God was telling me to settle down and that everything would be okay. I recognized God's 'voice'. I did think through all possible scenarios so I'd be ready for anything - as ready as one can be.
It is hard to keep my thoughts in the present. Obviously, I'm excited to see Belgium and Uzbekistan so that is always on my mind. Doug and I already talk about where we'd like his next post to be (St. Petersburg, Russia). But I know that if my thoughts do not stay in the present that will affect my future. I need to focus on getting everything together that we'll need there or my time in Tashkent will be spent figuring out what to do without certain items. That's not how I want to spend my time there. I'm setting priorities for living abroad. First priority is to keep the foundation I've built here in D.C. strong. I'm speaking of my body, spirit and mind. Secondly, my marriage and relationship with Doug. I want to support him and make his new life as easy as possible. Third is to collect and share folk tales. This, I believe will be a wonderful way to relate to local people in Uzbekistan.
Now I am concentrating on buying two years worth of consumables. Our apartment is about to be stuffed to the rafters with cases of confectioners sugar, tissues, toilet paper, granola bars, peanut butter, canned tomatoes, chickn stock and more. The hardest part is seeing the amount of money we're speding. It's no more than we would spend in an ordinary year or two - it's just that it's all at once. Ouch.
Remember the inventory list I had to make before we left St. Paul? I thought that was so much work. Well, we have to have our things insured so now I have had to put a price on every item. What a job.
Doug is still in training. This week he is finishing his General Services Officer training. This is the training that is most specific to his actual job at the embassy. Next week, he has three more training days then two consultation days.
The packers arrive Thursday to pack three shipments from our apartment: consumables, household effects (kitchen items, electronics, and books we've recently purchased) and unaccompanied baggage (clothing and more personal items we've accumulated).
I am going to post one more entry on this blog then I'm going to retire it. My next blog will be called "Back to the Desert." As I was born and raised in Phoenix and will be living the next couple years in Tashkent (also desert), I like the "full circle" effect. I intend to make the next blog better than this one. This, you know, was my practice blog. I'm going to post pictures. We have purchased a digital recorder I plan to use to post sounds of Tashkent. Maybe I'll even get fancy and post a video. No promises there. You can find my new blog at:
http://morelaurastales.blogspot.com/
Give me at least a week or two after I close "If I can . . ." before looking for any posting at that sight, please.
We can keep in touch through this blog and your comments. You can e-mail me. You can set up a (free) Skype account and we can talk and see each other. There is an 11 hour time difference between here and Tashkent (they're ahead of us) so using Skype will take some planning.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
World Peace (or at least inner peace)
A couple weeks ago I came home from a walk and sat down and deleted all the games on my computer. I decided that they were a waste of time. Yes relaxation is important. (Did I mention I just came back from another walk?). I do relax. Plenty. If I want to play a game, I have a pile of old Games magazines in the other room (there are only two rooms here, remember?) and at least when I'm doing a word puzzle I'm learning and figuring things out - stimulating my precious brain. So far I have only thought about the computer games a few times and, honestly, have not missed them. I have only fired up Doug's computer to play his games twice. (So, you see, it was not that much of a sacrifice as I have a back up.)Anyway, this leads me to writing more.
Lucky you, dear readers (all five or so of you).
I'm going to talk about a couple of human weaknesses that I believe to be the root of all evil. (Cue grand music.) I know that's pretty dramatic, but stay with me here. My biggest frustration with people is our selfishness. Because I love a good debate, even if it's with myself, I'll start by defending selfishness. We have to be selfish to a degree. I have to think of my own best interests because few others are going to. I have to put myself first often or I will be left out. This is not to say that many, many, many people have not stood up for me, comforted me, bailed me out (not literally) or done a host of other good deeds for me. I mean that this is my life and I must live it and part of living it is being vigilant to my own best interests - sometimes at the expense of other's. I think we've all heard the analogy about the oxygen mask on the plane - put it on yourself first then the kids because if you go unconscious putting it on a child what good are you to that child? I will add to that. Those of you who recognize this next analogy, I confes, I watched Oprah last week. We need to take such good care of ourselves that our cups run over so we have plenty to share with all those around us. This made me feel better about all the time I've spent going on about myself and my accomplishments in this blog. I am actively demonstrating and sharing what we are capable of.
I believe selfishness leads to nearly all crimes and legal violations: I was in a hurry I had to speed, I didn't see a trash can and I didn't want to carry it, I didn't want to/couldn't pay for it. I didn't want to use my car ashtray so I tossed the cigarette out the window. (Oh, sorry about the forest fire everybody.)Frankly none of us are so stimulatingly interesting or indispensably important that we cannot spare the extra seconds or minutes to do something right. Just think of all the tax money we'd save if we simply obeyed the laws of the road and stop littering. But, of course, it gets worse.
A few posts ago I wrote that I was selfish. I am but I'm dealing with it and have been for years and I'm making great progress. One thing that helps is being surrounded by unselfish people. Generosity and kind deeds truly are infectious. It's almost a paradox; I want to do something nice for someone else because I know I'll feel good and it will rub off on them and then they'll do something nice for someone else - maybe me! (Anyone out there read the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis? There is a character who realizes he's learned to be humble for which he's proud of himself.) But seriously, when you see the example set by others and see how well it works you can't help but want it. Parents often tell their children to not hang out around the wrong people. Good advice. Let's hope they take their own advice.
Being less selfish would make society more peaceful. If we took (even occasionally faked) an interest in others and what they have to say not only would they feel good but we'd gain a perspective we could not otherwise have. Because people don't know how to talk and listen to each other in conflict - like debate - we are drowning in lawsuits. And, it is my belief, that this practice (there's that word again) of listening to others that leads to companies listening to customers, governments listening to citizens and countries listening to other countries. Thus a more peaceful world. (Cue grand music once again.)
Doug's biggest frustration with people, and I've come to share it, is ignorance, specifically chosen ignorance. Again, I'll begin by defending ignorance. Obviously we can't all know everything. This is why we are all down here together and we have specialists on whom we depend. For instance if we were to know all there is to know about our own bodies that would require years of medical school. If we were to have enough knowlege to read and thoroughly understand legal documents we are required to sign to get loans, make wills etc. that would require years of law school. Who has the time, money and, frankly, the interest for that? Then there's that ever present trap of finding yourself in a tight spot and hearing someone say "Well, you should have asked." Great advice, but what if you don't know the questions?I've had some tough conversations with some people who are worried about my moving to a predominately Muslim country. "They want to kill us, you know." I have worked closely with two Muslim families and neither were the least bit interested in expediating my demise. The people with whom I had these conversations were confusing Muslims with Muslim extremists.
I liken Muslim extremists to "Christians" who kill doctors who perform abortions.
Again, we cannot know everything. It's impossible. What bothered me so much about these conversations is that they could not back up their accusations with facts other than a few news stories. I shared what I knew and hoped it would take root and give them an interest in opening their minds to learn a little bit more.
When I was in college, I chose ignorance. I didn't know it at the time; I just thought I was right. I studied music and Bible in college. I was VERY Christian. If it was not in the Bible then it was wrong. If it was in the Bible then you'd better not argue with it. If the Bible seemed to contradict itself - we just weren't understanding it properly.
I eventually came to the realization that a relationship with God was more valuable then Bible interpretation so that became my focus and, I'll be darned, if the one didn't follow the other! And thanks to years of storytelling and learning about oral tradition I can pretty well understand the contradictions within our holy scriptures. I would be missing out on SO much today if I were still stuck in my chosen ignorance.
Thank God and Darwin for evolution!
Lucky you, dear readers (all five or so of you).
I'm going to talk about a couple of human weaknesses that I believe to be the root of all evil. (Cue grand music.) I know that's pretty dramatic, but stay with me here. My biggest frustration with people is our selfishness. Because I love a good debate, even if it's with myself, I'll start by defending selfishness. We have to be selfish to a degree. I have to think of my own best interests because few others are going to. I have to put myself first often or I will be left out. This is not to say that many, many, many people have not stood up for me, comforted me, bailed me out (not literally) or done a host of other good deeds for me. I mean that this is my life and I must live it and part of living it is being vigilant to my own best interests - sometimes at the expense of other's. I think we've all heard the analogy about the oxygen mask on the plane - put it on yourself first then the kids because if you go unconscious putting it on a child what good are you to that child? I will add to that. Those of you who recognize this next analogy, I confes, I watched Oprah last week. We need to take such good care of ourselves that our cups run over so we have plenty to share with all those around us. This made me feel better about all the time I've spent going on about myself and my accomplishments in this blog. I am actively demonstrating and sharing what we are capable of.
I believe selfishness leads to nearly all crimes and legal violations: I was in a hurry I had to speed, I didn't see a trash can and I didn't want to carry it, I didn't want to/couldn't pay for it. I didn't want to use my car ashtray so I tossed the cigarette out the window. (Oh, sorry about the forest fire everybody.)Frankly none of us are so stimulatingly interesting or indispensably important that we cannot spare the extra seconds or minutes to do something right. Just think of all the tax money we'd save if we simply obeyed the laws of the road and stop littering. But, of course, it gets worse.
A few posts ago I wrote that I was selfish. I am but I'm dealing with it and have been for years and I'm making great progress. One thing that helps is being surrounded by unselfish people. Generosity and kind deeds truly are infectious. It's almost a paradox; I want to do something nice for someone else because I know I'll feel good and it will rub off on them and then they'll do something nice for someone else - maybe me! (Anyone out there read the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis? There is a character who realizes he's learned to be humble for which he's proud of himself.) But seriously, when you see the example set by others and see how well it works you can't help but want it. Parents often tell their children to not hang out around the wrong people. Good advice. Let's hope they take their own advice.
Being less selfish would make society more peaceful. If we took (even occasionally faked) an interest in others and what they have to say not only would they feel good but we'd gain a perspective we could not otherwise have. Because people don't know how to talk and listen to each other in conflict - like debate - we are drowning in lawsuits. And, it is my belief, that this practice (there's that word again) of listening to others that leads to companies listening to customers, governments listening to citizens and countries listening to other countries. Thus a more peaceful world. (Cue grand music once again.)
Doug's biggest frustration with people, and I've come to share it, is ignorance, specifically chosen ignorance. Again, I'll begin by defending ignorance. Obviously we can't all know everything. This is why we are all down here together and we have specialists on whom we depend. For instance if we were to know all there is to know about our own bodies that would require years of medical school. If we were to have enough knowlege to read and thoroughly understand legal documents we are required to sign to get loans, make wills etc. that would require years of law school. Who has the time, money and, frankly, the interest for that? Then there's that ever present trap of finding yourself in a tight spot and hearing someone say "Well, you should have asked." Great advice, but what if you don't know the questions?I've had some tough conversations with some people who are worried about my moving to a predominately Muslim country. "They want to kill us, you know." I have worked closely with two Muslim families and neither were the least bit interested in expediating my demise. The people with whom I had these conversations were confusing Muslims with Muslim extremists.
I liken Muslim extremists to "Christians" who kill doctors who perform abortions.
Again, we cannot know everything. It's impossible. What bothered me so much about these conversations is that they could not back up their accusations with facts other than a few news stories. I shared what I knew and hoped it would take root and give them an interest in opening their minds to learn a little bit more.
When I was in college, I chose ignorance. I didn't know it at the time; I just thought I was right. I studied music and Bible in college. I was VERY Christian. If it was not in the Bible then it was wrong. If it was in the Bible then you'd better not argue with it. If the Bible seemed to contradict itself - we just weren't understanding it properly.
I eventually came to the realization that a relationship with God was more valuable then Bible interpretation so that became my focus and, I'll be darned, if the one didn't follow the other! And thanks to years of storytelling and learning about oral tradition I can pretty well understand the contradictions within our holy scriptures. I would be missing out on SO much today if I were still stuck in my chosen ignorance.
Thank God and Darwin for evolution!
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