Wise WordsThe entire Israel adventure (from planning, partying and departing to arriving, arranging and acclimating) has seen a notable absence of grand, epic or inspiration words from me. I am usually pretty good with putting into words my feelings and expressing the grandness of situations and experiences. It's weird to note that I haven't done nearly as much of that for the current drastic changes I've thrust upon my life.
Aside from the written word, I also seem to have suspended my own internal monologue that usually constructs pithy soundbites to use as glib answers to questions I may get asked (like "why did you move" and "how are you doing").
Perhaps the reason for this suspension of grandiosity and verbal agility comes from me, very basically, not wanting to freak out. I've never lived anywhere other than NY. The longest I've ever been away from NY is 6 weeks, and that was just once. Perhaps if the magnitude of my decision really dawns on me I'll flip out.
As I sit here, writing, a
Coldplay song just came on MTV. The first words of the song are "Where do we go, nobody knows... God put a smile upon your face..." I had already picked out a great George Harrison quote for this posting but the
Coldplay line seems ever better.
People react very strongly to the news of my big move. Americans don't understand why I'd go to a third world country and Israelis wish they could trade places with me and go to where the streets are paved in gold. I don't have the heart to tell the Israelis that it's urine, not gold. And I can't teach the Americans that Israel is an amazing place, not the Ocean of Storms (the landing site of Apollo 12 on the second moon landing). Now when Israelis ask me why I moved I shrug and say "boredom?"
Why not?
Some things just feel right. And maybe those are the exact things that are hard to explain to others. This felt like the right decision. I can barely explain it to myself so how I can sufficiently convince others that I'm not insane. And why do I want to, anyway?
If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.-George Harrison
