Waxing a bit philosophical today… reflecting on this thing we call “the human condition”…

Arriving here, almost six weeks ago now, thousands of miles away from our familiar people, I felt acutely aware that we stand out as so different.  We felt very vulnerable; standing out as a visible minority made me feel that “blending-in” and belonging was an impossible reality.   Also, being from another country I assumed that no one could possibly understand our story, and on the same note I worried that we might never “get” how things are done here.  Just clearly illustrates my impatience with myself and this learning curve and ultimately how naive I have been.  We’ve met people from all over the world here.  Our story grows richer in sharing with those of others and there have been some remarkable moments where we can really relate to one another.  What has struck me in the last little while after watching how people behave and the stories they tell, is how alike we all are.

People are people.  For as long as I can remember, that has been a sentiment expressed often by my parents in our home.  And I believe that most people are good people who are trying everyday to make the most of their lives.  And anywhere and everywhere in the world there is a small minority of dishonest folk that we are wary of and cut a wide berth around.

We all have hopes and dreams.

We all experience struggles and tragedies.  We all strive to cope.

We all have triumphs.

We all have families that are complicated and loved and missed.

We all need to eat.  We gather to share friendship, fellowship and food to nourish bodies and souls.

We all have special needs in some respect.

We all love to laugh…we are staying at an international hotel and hearing many different languages all around us.   I’ve been silently people-watching (I’m listening a lot right now – in “learning-mode”) and have caught every single person, regardless of dialect, just cracking up at something a colleague or person on the other end of the line has said. Makes me want to know all the languages so I can get in on the joke!

We all need companionship and connection to others.

We all have a desire to belong.

We all have interests and ideas and skills.

We are all human.  We all make mistakes.

We all have goals and we are always learning, whether we embrace our lessons or not.

We all love someone or something, or both.

We all need to move.

We all fear something.  Sometimes we have to dig deep to dredge a bit of courage.

We all believe in something.

We all have a need to communicate.

We all have a need to be heard.

At the end of the day, we want to feel purpose, and that we’ve used our lives.

There are nuances in approach (culture, religion, traditions), which make us assume that we are so different from one another.   And I suppose we have a need to define ourselves as unique from others in terms of our skills and talents and abilities and tastes.  But really, as human beings, we are all people and we impose difference and if we’re really thoughtless about it, we believe in difference, and build walls to keep the difference out.   Our favourite music guide, Stuart, has always encouraged us to see the similarities between concepts and truths in music – he’s always maintained that there is more similarity than difference.   And if Music is Life, then this can be applied to everything, and I love that and will work to frame my life that way.

And try to frame this experience in that light.