India
Awakened by the stirring of mind and body, I reflect on my recent world travel. As my senses were overwhelmed each day that I was in India, my mind is overwhelmed at the observations and memories. Bewildered and unsure of where to begin, I think I will free write this entry. More entries will follow with narratives of my experiences. Until then, streams of consciousness…
India defies simple explanation. While India’s borders occupy one-third the landmass of the United States, its population is more than tripple the US population. The subcontinent is extremely diverse in landscape, climate, culture, religion, and language. The north borders with Tibet and the Himalayas, and to the south lies a subropical paradise where spices grow and have been traded for centuries. Christianity was introduced to the subcontinent in the first century by St. Thomas.
I left a snowy Seattle depressed, and in need of renwal. Knowing that traversing India was not going to be quiet, I was prepared to be shocked. The first step outside into the Delhi night were oppressive–while marveling at the thousands of people passing through and waiting at Indira Ghandi International Airport, I was also chocking on the smog. I let the chaos wash over me, noting the hundreds of faces lined up waiting for their person to walk through the door. Even in the middle of the night, Delhi’s roads are noisy. My senses became full of streaming observation and I forgot my depression.
This morning, I am faced with what was my life, what it became, and what now am I to do with myself, the same person yet changed forever by India…
