HomeHomeAugust 2002
As the summer of 2002 begins to wind down, tensions in America remain high as we watch the never-ending rollercoaster of a stock market, the disappointing revelations of wrongdoing in our corporations, and we despair at the daily tragedies in the Middle East. We’re also slowly gearing up for the sad anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th.
As we noted in our last column, many Americans are choosing to stay closer to home this summer. While there is much potential for joy and good times in rediscovering the sites in one’s "backyard," this is not the time to give up on the idea of discovering the larger world. We must keep traveling, and keep learning about other places and other peoples, and not let the fear of terrorism allow us to become insulated from the rest of the globe. It becomes too easy to demonize other cultures when we lack a basic understanding of how the rest of the world lives. Reading about another country in a book or on a web site is not the same thing as experiencing the sights, sounds, tastes, and even smells of far-off places.
Without taking the necessary risks to journey far from home, we don’t grow or stretch as individuals, or as a collective culture----and our beliefs need to be challenged once in a while to test how firmly we stand on our own moral ground. Are we sure that our culture has all the answers? Aren’t there other ways of knowing or ways of believing that we can take with us on our individual journeys through our lives? How do other countries handle problems similar to ours? How do they handle problems that are different? And where can we find common ground in the one area that is being ignored above all else---the global environment?
If nothing else, visiting other nations can give us a sense of gratitude for what we like in our own country. Our travels can challenge us to question what we don’t like in our home environments, as well. Away from the "noise" and distractions of our own culture, we can learn to develop, hone in on, and listen to one of our greatest gifts--our intuition--which never betrays us.
The people we meet during the course of these journeys can also enlarge our worldview. We get to know others in situations alien to what we could ever experience back home--and the lessons we learn from our mistakes are often ones that could never be learned from a book. The risks in reaching out to others who are so different from us can also bring rich rewards. The larger world is the ultimate school which can test us our mettle, our patience, our belief system, our sanity, and even teach us how to have more compassion for a seemingly crazy, mixed up planet. We are, ultimately, all in this together.
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.comNews, Resources and Other Interesting Tidbits
The World Tourism Organizaton is holding a Summit on Sustainable Development beginning August 30th, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Travel & Leisure magazine offers 33 ways to make summer last.
Journey Woman is a fun Canadian site which offers a wealth of info for the female traveler. Their mandate is "to inspire women to travel safely and well, and to connect female travellers internationally."
BudgetTravel.com offers a resource page devoted to women at http://www.budgettravel.com/women.htm
The poshnosh.com site offers trips for the "50 + woman with a passion for travel."
Sacred Journeys is a site which offers another interesting option for women who want to explore various "sacred places" around the globe.
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