A good long talk with my best friend today (at 3am her time) has done more for my morale today than all the immodium, antibiotics & pepto bismol in the world.
After a 2 good weeks of “Incredible India” immersive fun, I came down with a case of “Delhi Belly”. I summoned the energy for Holi festival on Sunday, but have been house-bound since about Thursday. Naturally this is a buzz kill & has me feeling homesick, missing the comforts of my “natural habitat”… My family, friends, boyfriend & kitty. Being me, this spun my overactive brain into wondering “What on earth am I really DOING in Delhi? What meaning am I trying to find in my life? What kind of good can I do in the world if, after 2 weeks, I just want to go home?” …and all other manner of rediculous, existential, antibiotic-induced self analysis.
Enter: best friend. My Cyndy, the one who can always put things in perspective, give me a good laugh, and remind me not to take myself so seriously. No matter how unimaginably streasful her own life is (which it is, and she can summon strength in a way that leaves me in awe) she always has time to listen. Her advice to the woe-is-me, sick Katie was this: “Good & bad, take it as experience. Come home in a mere 2 weeks, with ideas for you can better serve the women in your own (English speaking) community. Yes, it’s different travelling at 33 than at 23, adulthood brings with it more knowledge of the complexity of the world & it’s realities, things the other volunteers may not be aware of. And mostly: oh suck it up; it’s better to be sick in India, than sick in Florida! You’ll feel better soon & will be sad to leave India when the time comes.” (Im paraphrasing & trust my strong-willed bestfriend will correct me if I misunderstood!)
So tomorrow, even if the auto-rickshaw ride makes me green in the face, I’m going in to the school. I’m gonna just laugh with the girls about my pink & green hair from Holi, chat with them about whatever they want, and take it as it comes.
If you know me, turning off the “planning & organizing & list-making” part of my brain is very very hard to do. This is one of those times where I need to tell my brain to put a sock in it & just enjoy the chaos and uncertainty of Incredible, and Digestively Challenging, India!
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:39 pm
No you hit the nail on the head. I mean you omitted the things about herpes and lip touching, but whatev…
love you, enjoy the ride!
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Hi Katie,
I’m sorry to hear you were down & out today. I’ll be praying for a speedy recovery & the “right focus” on what exactly it is you are doing in India. Don’t doubt for one second that the Lord is talking to you & now that he has your attention I’ll be praying that you are learning the skill of listening. For what it is worth, I am still an infant in that department – I’m a slow learner & a big complainer!
I love yesterday’s blog. You truly have many great talents. Thanks for being so frank & to the point with your writings.