Blustery this morning. Time to bring the geraniums in
for the winter.
I was chatting with the checker at Target yesterday,
a twenty-something Pakistani woman. She said she's
been in this country for four years, but that the process
took fourteen years. Said that she doesn't miss her
home country, because her entire family now lives here.
I can't imagine what she has lived, can't imagine so desiring
to leave one's country to permanently take up residence
in another. Paul and I talk about moving to Ireland --
but with the luxury of mobility between countries
in the western world. Standing there yesterday while this
young woman rang up my purchases, surrounded
by the ridiculous excesses of this society, I suddenly felt
a bit like a spoiled child: I wanted new placemats, so I bought
new placemats. I wanted a white porcelain serving plate,
so I bought a white porcelain serving plate. Did I need them?
No. Were they necessary? Not at all. Could I leave them
and everything else I possess and start a new life on the other
side of the globe? (I'm not talking about moving to Ireland here.)
Thankfully, I don't have to make that decision.
And what about you?
Could you do what this Pakistani woman has done?
I'm always amazed at the immigrant patients I work with who have done just what you said. They almost never have their whole family with them and they can almost always never go back.
ReplyDeleteI love your honesty, don't stop.
ReplyDeleteIf John McCain steals the election the way Bush did, I'm outa here.........
ReplyDeleteMolly: yes, this woman was the exception. Perhaps that accounted for her apparent contentment. What you encounter on a daily basis is an in-your-face reality which I doubt any of us would choose.
ReplyDeleteMcCabeandco: thank-you, and welcome!
ReplyDeleteIma: it ain't gonna happen.
As long as my son was close by, yes. We have both spoken about moving to France. We both speak the language and it is a country that honors artists. I have very little attachment to my life here except for my garden. And I can find an orchestra anywhere. If I had the money, I'd be gone. I've started over more than once, I've begun completely new lives. It's not so bad.
ReplyDelete