Skip to main content

The green house on the corner bringing perspective.

Perspective. Good to have sometimes, especially when life is hard work. Not because my life is horrible in any definition of the word, but just because I still feel like I am walking on that bridge between two places and seasons, and am not settled into this new yet.

Perspective. As I was walking this morning I passed a green house situated on the corner of two intersecting roads. It caught my attention because it looked a little bit like how I feel at the moment. One side was nicely painted (probably a recent paint job) while the other side was flaking off and looked worn. It was an interesting sight. And it made me stop and ponder. I realised that in some ways I have it all together; I have the basics to live and seem capable of facing life head-on. Yet in other ways I feel so flaky and uncertain. Unsure of how to do life in Norway. Unsure of how things function and how I am meant to be now I’m back in my own culture which has become so foreign, yet at the same time is so familiar.

Perspective. On Thursday work was quiet. I was the only one in the office, and although I was communicating, it was more the written kind then the spoken kind. After getting off the train I decided to go pick up the Jojo Moyes book I had reserved at the library (side note: I love libraries here in Norway. They are free and the system is so simple). As I left the library I realised that the conversation I’d had with the librarian to find out how to get my book was the first one I’d had all day with another human being. It really struck me. Both because it made me ponder my day in a new way, but mostly because I realised that where that is an exception for me, it might be the reality of some peoples’ lives. That where I can feel a bit alone and lonely at times, other people might only occasionally feel accepted and like they belong.

Perspective. Sometimes I seem to think that to get perspective I need to remove myself from the situation and try to see it from a different angle. But I think it’s possible to have perspective even when I’m in the midst of walking something out which consumes my vision. And that is what I desire to have. At the moment life seems to have one challenge after the other pop up (not huge crises, but just small things which together become mountains I need to conquer). I don’t have to let the challenges become the lens through which I view my journey. I can choose to face the challenges, but see the greater picture. And instead of being overwhelmed by the mountain, I can choose to climb it and make it a stepping stone to seeing an even greater view of what lies beyond. It’s easier said than done. Sometimes tears of frustration and a feeling of defeat precedes the climbing, but whether the journey is one of getting straight to the top or one of taking a longer route, the road always leads me to overcome the obstacles.

And that gives me courage to keep walking, even when I feel mostly like the worn green wall with flaky paint.

Popular posts from this blog

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...
Read more

Getting to know the local culture.

Life is a strange thing. Last week went…not much happened, and then it was over. The weekend was quite calm without too many wild and exciting things happening. Except, of course, a wee outing to watch the National Championship for Veteran Ploughing. Now, like me, you might be sadly lacking an understanding of what this actually means. So I am delighted to be able to enlighten you in this respect. It’s basically (for the “farm-language-illiterate” like myself) a competition where you use old (hence the name “veteran”) tractors and ploughs, and plough up a stretch of field which is then evaluated and the one scoring the highest sum (accuracy, depth, how well the soil is turned is all given points) wins. I must admit that this information I got by eavesdropping on a conversation next to me where a man was explaining to some of my friends how it all works. So that was a fun adventure….although we only stayed for a bit. What is sort of occupying my mind at present is my upcoming travel abr...
Read more

What was your dream?- scraping the surface of the heart of Albania

“What was your dream when you were 20?” That was a question our guide asked us as we were standing outside a huge derelict cement monument in Tirana, the capital of Albania. We’d spent the day touring and hearing a lot about the history and journey of Albania, a young country with more Albanians living in other countries than in Albania itself. A country where tourism has only really been built up the past 30 years. It was eye opening to hear more of the history, and it made me realise that this country is so much more than meets the eye. A country where the beaches and tourist area of Durres Riviera was packed with tourists, mostly from the Balcan area. A country where hospitality is ingrained in the culture, and where the friendliness of the people was noticeable. After a pause to let us reflect over the question of dreams, for some thinking further back than others, our guide told us that for him it had been to own a pair of jeans. That simple fact said so much. Both of what he...
Read more