Not just a pretty face/ Max contributes

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(This is written by Max)

Well, after roughly a month of less than constant nagging, I’m finally making a contribution to the blog. I held off for a long time and then decided I wanted the last word…and I got it. How about that! We’ve got a matter of hours left on the sub-continent before our marathon length flight and I suppose now’s as good a time as any to share my thoughts with you, our faithful readers. Shouldn’t you have something better to do with your time? Living vicariously through us…you ought to be ashamed…we’re not even that fun.
In a word, India is vivid. Vivid in the sense a certain rogue CIA agent in a Tom Robbins’ novel would use the word, though I don’t share his negative connotations. It’s an assault on the sense, this country is, and that is only a bad thing if you resist it. All five senses are scintillated, some more pleasantly than others, but none spared the barrage. Sure, some people don’t think that flies crawling over all portions of exposed skin as you idly wait for a delayed train is desirable, but bad or good, its still stimulation nonetheless. In fact, the skin and nose take worst of it, drinking cheap whiskey with flat RC, while the tongue and eyes sip martinis in the penthouse, leaving the ears to choose whether or not they enjoy their mostly room temperature cheap Mexican beers.
Making sense of my senses was the first step towards enjoying this trip. Step two was probably when my girlfriend recovered from an illness we in the western world thought was all but extinct. Silly us. The next step, three for those counting, was making my mind up to not fight the differences but rather embrace them. This could be the biggest lesson I learned, or better yet, re-learned. Change and difference are parts of life, and how you respond to these largely determines your overall happiness/sadness. They’re going to happen and the more you resist, the harder its going to be. If you surrender and accept, you truly can find wonder in strangest of places, no matter how you look at it, right?
I had an Indian Air Force officer ask me on a train, “Why did you come to India? It’s dirty, crowded, and poor, why come?” I had a hard time answering. Lyndsey was spared this because she was sitting in lotus position and reading a book called “Code Name God” during our exchange and he read her ambitions as spiritual. Me, I was just chatting, so I got the brunt. My eventual answer was because she was here (aawwww….I know) and as true as that is, it didn’t leave me satisfied. As I pondered, I came up with plenty of good, solid answers, belated albeit. Whether or not Wing Commander What-Ever-His-Name-Was was satisfied ultimately doesn’t matter, the inner dialogue he spurned on does. I decided that, and call me selfish here if you’d like, that through traveling I’m able to learn more about myself, and the world. Neat, huh? To be able to take yourself out of that oh so familiar routine (wake, eat, work, sleep, and shower on occasion) and go and see and hopefully experience how the other half lives is an eye opening adventure. It helps put what the rest of the world sees as our ridiculously privileged lives into perspective. You see what it really takes to be happy, and its not money, a big house, and filet mignon (though I am thankful for all those thing, make no mistake….mmmm steak). It’s friends, family, relationships, and most importantly a decision. Happiness is a choice, an internal one. I’ve seen and met plenty of people that are smiling despite what we would label as bleak circumstances. Likewise, I know plenty that are miserable with all the luxury the world affords. It’s not a matter of what you have or get its all how you think…and that’s another important travel conclusion.
But, mostly, the reason I travel is because I like getting back. I’m a cancer…shoot me. I like home. I like coming back to home after being away. I like the fresh perspective and chance to start anew that are provided with returning from an extended leave taking. I like my shower. It’s hot and wonderful whenever I ask it to be. I like eating meat. India is a vegetarian’s Eden, however not prescribing to this philosophy full time, just dabbling here and there, I’m sorta over it. Sorry cows. I like my family and friends. I like my bed. I like being away from blood-sucking insects that treat me like a Chinese buffet. I like the mountains and their snow. I like football. I like my car. I like TV. I like good coffee in the mornings. And, although I tend to disagree with many, many decisions that my country makes, I like my country. I like my life. I like getting back to it and after stepping away for a moment. There is nothing like taking something away to make you appreciate what you’ve got. Just try tying your shoes without using your thumbs….

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Comments

[jaswin]

Well my beleif is that to understand india you must loose 'I' first and have belief in 'HIM' ie the GOD because only such a thing can run a country like India.

[jodi]

yeah max!
i'm so glad that you waited to get the last word in, and that you were able to come up with some insights to satisfy the train guy and yourself. you made it. can't wait to see you guys in the mountains. the bugs aren't so bad. hooray.