“If everything was easy, there wouldn’t be any fun.”
During the midst of a bit of confusion at the mall, a
hallmate of mine uttered this with a smile on her face. There wasn’t
mass chaos, just confusion about what cookies were wanted and where exactly to
pay and check out. I don’t think there is a quote more fitting to apply to my
experience in India than this quote.
My Indian experience has been marked with new experiences in
new places, new sights, new smells, new languages, new cultures, and new and
different things every day. Sometimes we met frustrating experiences from dealing with the bureaucracy trying to register as foreigners or trying to make our ID cards with the Dean's office. Seriously, some of those crazy stressful moments are the ones that we can look back and laugh at the hardest. They are the most fun to think about. I have learned to laugh at difficult moments and laugh at them hard. I have found so much joy in the difficult things of this
experience.
Exhibit A
Travel to Pondicherry from Chennai
On our way to Pondicherry we rode the train to Nungambakkam, which
is about 45 minutes away. Then caught an auto outside of the station to the
Coimbatore Bus Station, which is about 20 minutes away. We then had to ask
which buses went to Pondy and we ended up jumping on a bus on Platform 3,
instead of 2. Our bus was very comfortable with individual seats and room for
luggage above your head. Once the bus starts moving, a ticket master comes by
and collects Rupees in exchange for a ticket. We were caught in early morning
traffic and it took about 2 hours just to get out of the city and then another
3-4 hours to get to Pondicherry. We got off the bus, found an auto, and made
our way to the Hotel.
Travel from Pondicherry to Chennai
However, going home to Chennai we found our way to the
Pondicherry Bus Stand. We asked a police officer which bus was headed to
Chennai, especially Tambaram, where we live. He pointed us in the right
direction. We found we had to stand in line, to receive a token to reserve a
bus seat for us. JJ did that kindly. This bus more closely resembled a city bus
and we climbed on and experienced chaos. We didn’t realize that our tokens
reserved actual seats for us with numbers and everything. So, we all sat
together near the front. Then people whose seats we were occupying came by and were
rather frustrated that we didn’t understand the procedure. The aisle
was full and 4 of our seats ended up being in the very back. JJ and I made our
way to the very back and sat with another gentleman on a 3 seater. I had a big
bag, because I bought an extra to take home while in Pondi and had stuffed my
backpack into it. I sat that upright on my lap and then JJ and I just kind of
laughed at the whole situation. The ticketmaster offered to move my bag to the
floor by the door, which was nice. Then, however, we realized that the seat in
front of us was broken and the seat leaned back until it was on top of our
knees – putting pressure the whole time. This bus didn’t take us straight to
Tambaram, we had to get off and then find another bus, but that really wasn’t a
big deal. People in India are super helpful.
Clearly, the ride home wasn’t as comfortable as the one to
Pondy, but there was no use wasting energy by being miserable over a situation I don’t have
control over. Besides, JJ and I couldn’t help by smile and laugh over the
craziness of boarding that bus bound for Chennai. If we had expected the EXACT
same situation on the way home or even something a little less crazy – we would
have been disappointed and upset. But we managed to find the hilarity in the
craziness, which is truly where the fun lies.
Today, I was reflecting on why people become disappointed with something. It is when their expectations of a person or a situation are not met as they had originally anticipated. Then I thought that was a little silly as most things we become disappointed in are things outside of ourselves, events or circumstances outside of our control. (Unless we are disappointed with our own performances or thoughts or feelings.) We don't have full control of what happens to us, but we do have full control of how we respond to it.
Living life should not be an inconvenience, nor should it be
smooth sailing. Life is an adventure and sometimes things are crazy or difficult, but learning how to find joy and purpose from those moments are what life's all about. The world isn't all about you, but the world is FOR you. God is FOR you.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
Love,
K
