Western-style Thinking

For lunch today I had left-over Korma curried chicken and vegetables over almond cous cous. I was listening to Loreena McKennitt's "The Gates of Istanbul" as I ate and was enjoying the eastern influences all around me. For dessert, I opened two Dove dark chocolates and read the messages inside. Sometimes I find them amusing, but most of the time they are vapid. On this occasion, I was annoyed.

The first one read, "Practice patience as a means to an end." What does that mean? Be patient so you can get what you want? Obtuse. The next one read, "Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." To which I responded, "Why should I?" Why not enjoy the day without making it some kind of personal competition? It was such a rude western interruption to my oriental reverie.

I remember well the summer Q and I lived in Cairo. The lead that settled in our lungs, the impossibly gorgeous 5 foot tall gladiolas for sale by the train station, the shy smile of the boy who helped his father at the fruit market. It was my first time living in such a place so everything made an impression. I remember walking by a little garden in the middle of a suburban traffic circle and watching a man slowly water the plants with a hose. I thought, "I like the way he cares for this little out-of-the-way spot, but it could be so much nicer! Why doesn't he take it up a notch? Plant some flowers...." And the arabic phrase ma'alesh came to mind. It's a phrase we don't have an exact translation for because it's not really in our lexicon or culture. It can be translated in the following ways: relax, don't worry about it, nothing can be done, these things happen, I'm sorry, oh well. I'd love to see it written as a Dove Promises message. "You didn't lose 3 pounds this week? Ma'alesh. Have another chocolate."

While I know there is a positive purpose to our cultural drive to make things better all the time, I also appreciate the occasional reminder that life is not entirely about progress (or about ourselves, but that's another post). Sometimes it is about standing still and feeling good. James Taylor said it best: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." Savor the moment.