India

I wasn't really looking forward to spending 40 days in India at first. But being here has been a good opportunity for me to spend time alone, read, write, think. Life is simpler here, and it gives me more room to examine my life without so many things cluttering my head. My mind can expand to think further, and deeper. I happened to talk to our friend in Jordan just a week or two ago, and she, too, is enjoying herself there. I like how she described that where she was, "there are only a number of pursuits, most of which are straightforward".

Haven't written for a couple of months. I'd like to think I've been busy at work, but honestly it's probably more like I didn't have any ideas. Or maybe they go together. Having so many hours of my day occupied by trivial matters just makes it difficult for me to switch to more reflective forms of thinking. Murakami wrote that "I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them". So it is with me. Whether in my own personal writing or here in this blog, I find that it appears in my writing when I'm doing some thinking. There are periods in my life when I did little writing, and I realise, later on, that my memory draws a blank when I try to remember what happened during that time. So I'm trying to put aside more time to write, and hopefully I'll write more frequently here as well. At least while I'm in India I think there may be a chance!

Anyhow, our friend in Jordan is doing well. I told her how she'd been appearing in my dreams ever since she just upped and went to Jordan. I think some subconcious part of my brain just cannot deal with this prissy young lady roughing it out on her own in (what I think is) a hostile environment, so I was quite worried about her. It's odd, but she must have become a part of my life, and I never realised it when she was around. I think as I grow older and meet new people I learn to appreciate my old friends. Like one of our friends has said, you're like an old, comfy sofa!