Manila, August 24, 2013
After 10 days on the road, this is the first day I have time to sip my morning coffee in silence, without any concept of space and time, reflecting on those encounters across the cities I’ve been to. 10 days, 3 cities, seeing thousands of people hurrying towards their destinations, having conversational exchanges with close to 100 people, having intentional conversations with almost 40 people; and here I am feeling so blessed to be able to stop, re-wind, and reflect on the emotional complexity of human beings.
Every day, a day starts with the sun coming up and ends with the sun going down. Every day the same thing happens. Every day! What lies between seems to be our choice of how we want to live it….
Shanghai – he was shaky to un-lie his lies…
Hongkong – she was annoyed and snappy to be asked for help…
Manila – he was proud to showcase his collection of pets. I would never forget that monkey’s face, seemingly accepting fate as it was presented within that tiny cage and inside the gloomy toilet…
Shanghai – he seemed determined to find a better-paying job so that he could afford a simple life. Simplicity was defined as making enough money to buy some own time…
Shanghai – hope was in the air that fortune would bring people together; though doubt was sneaking in that the same would take them apart…
Manila – feeling lost & vulnerable, she was trapped in between the past and the future. The present became a distant concept…
We all walk through life every day carrying bags of wants, needs, desires, and expectation. The world itself revolves around billions of personal axes. Disappointment, pride, ego, sadness, anger, hatred, fear, confusion, vulnerability…, they all have a part to play in building that complex entity called self. When would the concept of selflessness be perceived or simply practiced? When would happiness be achieved simply by letting go?
The sun is coming up today as I sip my coffee in silence. The sun will eventually go down as I touch down in Saigon tonight. What lies between?