Hong Kong’s spectacular visual nature – her green mountains meshing with her incredible skyscrapers – struck me first, but I’ll always remember my time there for the way my heart grew beyond my personal limits.
After a month in Taiwan, we had the privilege of being the first Action for Life program invited to make a presentation at a university. It was an electric session dedicated to the theme of “personal change”. I had the opportunity to tell a story about rebuilding a relationship that had nearly collapsed. While I spoke the words, I felt fresh and alive and I gave to the students with a sense of freedom and hope.
At that point, I couldn’t identify the feeling, but later in the week I took a day in silent reflection to climb the mountain behind our hostel. As I reached the summit, I sat down on an outcropping of rocks and listened to my heart beat, my lungs breathe and felt the blood pulsing through my body. My spirit of gratitude for a well-working body quickly met an overwhelming and quite unexpected feeling of love.
Looking over the massive cityscape, I realized that I had a deep love for my team. For all of their talents and faults, their difficult parts and the easy parts, I loved each of them. I’d never experienced a sense of love in such a generous way. Most remarkably, I realized that the love came from a different source. This was no longer the labor of my own will to care for my teammates, but I felt as though I was now drawing on a much deeper and enduring spiritual strength.
Like a blend of freedom and joy, the core within me stirred deeply. Liberation, not for its own sake, but with a purpose. And not of my own will, but of something far beyond it. Less than a self-absorbed victory and more like riding on a golden chariot carried by streaking and beautiful steeds. Just less of me. More of everyone and everything else. Filled with the great depth. And released.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Greed
The sleepy port town of Sihanoukville isn’t the best the world has to offer. The beaches aren’t kept too well. The massive new port makes the whole place feel a bit industrial. The town itself doesn’t bring out the best in you. It’s easy to feel suspicious of the old tourist men and most of the town feels a bit unkempt. I wouldn’t head back to S’ville if I had a choice, especially in the heat of April. And if any of you are looking for beaches to visit in SE Asia, I’d encourage you to head elsewhere. Come to Cambodia for the culture, Khmer food and kindness, a bit less for its main coastal city.
Still, amidst all of this, something astonishing happened. And it would almost be worth a return. It’s an annual event that can only be described as the blessing of creation. It’s the reason why people have given thanks at the time of harvest for thousands of years. Because sometimes (perhaps often-times), the things that emerge from the earth are the best things in the world.
Let me be frank. I am talking about mangoes.
When you grow in up Jersey, mangoes are beyond exotic. They weren’t exactly in high supply at the local Acme and as gifted as my Mom is in the culinary arts, mango never really made it into our regular meal rotation. In fact, mango was so off my radar, that aside from the first taste of Mango nectar (which I had in Italy at 18) I didn’t even know how a mango grew. Did you pick it off a tree? Did it grow like a vine on the ground? Was it more like a tomato plant? Like Corn?
But who doesn’t like mango? It’s one of the world’s perfect foods. Even when you don’t get a particularly good one, it’s still fantastic. But I’ve never been in India for mango season (home to over half of the world’s mangoes) and I thought I might miss it all together again. Ah, but how the world smiles at me sometimes. When I arrived in Cambodia, not only was it the height of mango season, but the climate was particularly good for growing the magical fruit. On top of that, S’ville happens to be home to the best orchards, I’m sure, in the country.
On top of that, the hotel I stayed at had steady access to the best mangoes I have ever tasted. And by steady access, I mean that I ate their pretty much three meals a day for a month and at every lunch and dinner, they provided mango. I’m not talking like they plopped a fruit in front of me and asked me to grind out the hard work of peeling and pitting. Nay. I’m talking royal, nay, palatial treatment. Fresh-cut, fresh-out-of-the-fridge absolutely perfect mango dripping with unparalleled natural sweetness. If you have ever had what I just described, then you are with me. This is as close as I’m feeling to a Garden of Eden vibe.
Those who haven’t, you might be thinking: “Mango twice a day for a month? Chris, maybe you’ve been gone a little too long. Are you okay?” Fair enough. But I can tell you without question that this mango was so special, that I would have eaten it three times a day (and actually made a strong [but unsuccessful] push to the management to try and arrange such a situation).
But I wasn’t alone. In fact, what unfolded around the mangoes was actually a pretty good study of how the world works. Every meal, the catering staff would have 3 platters of mango available. This would certainly be enough for every one of us to have a reasonable taste of mango at every meal. It wouldn’t be a lot of mango for each person. And it might not satisfy completely, but it would allow for everyone to have a taste of the glorious goodness.
Interesting though, with limited resources and appetites;This is the combination that essentially creates most of the world’s problems.
And so it was (though without the horrifying consequences of greed on a world scale). When the mango emerged from the frosty chill-box, some would aggressively pursue their fill while others would play off like they weren’t eager but still quietly got their fill. Some would send others to get it for them so as not to look “wantish”. Some took unapologetically while other seemed almost unable to enjoy what they took if other’s were lacking. Some took seconds before others took firsts. Some gave up on mango entirely while others never took a meal without a mango. And how different cultures differences worked on this issue too (about 35 of us from 18 countries)!
Ha! This would have been an incredible social experiment to monitor beyond my playful observances and musings. Real data would have been fantastic. Who took how much and how often? And how did it affect the way others felt and acted and reacted?
So can mango be compared to oil, gold, water, land? It’s a bit of a stretch, but damn if I didn’t see, clear as could be, the way the world works. And damn if I didn’t eat a lot of mango this last month (you can take the boy out of America, but you can’t take America out of the boy!).
Still, amidst all of this, something astonishing happened. And it would almost be worth a return. It’s an annual event that can only be described as the blessing of creation. It’s the reason why people have given thanks at the time of harvest for thousands of years. Because sometimes (perhaps often-times), the things that emerge from the earth are the best things in the world.
Let me be frank. I am talking about mangoes.
When you grow in up Jersey, mangoes are beyond exotic. They weren’t exactly in high supply at the local Acme and as gifted as my Mom is in the culinary arts, mango never really made it into our regular meal rotation. In fact, mango was so off my radar, that aside from the first taste of Mango nectar (which I had in Italy at 18) I didn’t even know how a mango grew. Did you pick it off a tree? Did it grow like a vine on the ground? Was it more like a tomato plant? Like Corn?But who doesn’t like mango? It’s one of the world’s perfect foods. Even when you don’t get a particularly good one, it’s still fantastic. But I’ve never been in India for mango season (home to over half of the world’s mangoes) and I thought I might miss it all together again. Ah, but how the world smiles at me sometimes. When I arrived in Cambodia, not only was it the height of mango season, but the climate was particularly good for growing the magical fruit. On top of that, S’ville happens to be home to the best orchards, I’m sure, in the country.
On top of that, the hotel I stayed at had steady access to the best mangoes I have ever tasted. And by steady access, I mean that I ate their pretty much three meals a day for a month and at every lunch and dinner, they provided mango. I’m not talking like they plopped a fruit in front of me and asked me to grind out the hard work of peeling and pitting. Nay. I’m talking royal, nay, palatial treatment. Fresh-cut, fresh-out-of-the-fridge absolutely perfect mango dripping with unparalleled natural sweetness. If you have ever had what I just described, then you are with me. This is as close as I’m feeling to a Garden of Eden vibe.
Those who haven’t, you might be thinking: “Mango twice a day for a month? Chris, maybe you’ve been gone a little too long. Are you okay?” Fair enough. But I can tell you without question that this mango was so special, that I would have eaten it three times a day (and actually made a strong [but unsuccessful] push to the management to try and arrange such a situation).
But I wasn’t alone. In fact, what unfolded around the mangoes was actually a pretty good study of how the world works. Every meal, the catering staff would have 3 platters of mango available. This would certainly be enough for every one of us to have a reasonable taste of mango at every meal. It wouldn’t be a lot of mango for each person. And it might not satisfy completely, but it would allow for everyone to have a taste of the glorious goodness.
Interesting though, with limited resources and appetites;This is the combination that essentially creates most of the world’s problems.
And so it was (though without the horrifying consequences of greed on a world scale). When the mango emerged from the frosty chill-box, some would aggressively pursue their fill while others would play off like they weren’t eager but still quietly got their fill. Some would send others to get it for them so as not to look “wantish”. Some took unapologetically while other seemed almost unable to enjoy what they took if other’s were lacking. Some took seconds before others took firsts. Some gave up on mango entirely while others never took a meal without a mango. And how different cultures differences worked on this issue too (about 35 of us from 18 countries)!
Ha! This would have been an incredible social experiment to monitor beyond my playful observances and musings. Real data would have been fantastic. Who took how much and how often? And how did it affect the way others felt and acted and reacted?
So can mango be compared to oil, gold, water, land? It’s a bit of a stretch, but damn if I didn’t see, clear as could be, the way the world works. And damn if I didn’t eat a lot of mango this last month (you can take the boy out of America, but you can’t take America out of the boy!).
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
My Journey in Film
Even as the scenery changed around me over the past 8 months, many things about me did not. My love for movies remains. In fact, sometimes film becomes a helpful tool of escapism when it’s just reached a point where I need to take a step back from the events swirling around and relax the brain.
There’s nothing like a combination of friend’s DVD collections, international HBO and in-flight entertainment to make a hell of strange viewing list. As I thought about it one day, I actually realized that the list of movies I’ve watched on this trip says quite a bit about where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, what’s been available and what I’ve needed from my movie experiences. In general chronological order:
So I Married an Axe Murderer
Kung Fu Panda
Hairspray
The Last Mimsy
Goal
Goal 2
Slumdog Millionaire
Eagle Eye
The Office (British)
Leatherheads
About Schmidt
As it is in Heaven (Swedish)
Rope
North by Northwest
Valkyrie
Chariots of Fire
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace
Die Hard 4
Kate and Leopold
Triple X
A Beautiful Mind
Quantum of Solace
The Reader
Payback
Spiderman 3
The Illusionist
Wall-E
I could make conclusions out of this list that still amaze me. Like when I got sick in China and was so desperate for an English movie that I happily tuned in to a romantic comedy. I watched movies I swore to myself that I would never watch (Spiderman 3). I saw breakthrough movies that lifted me during a malaise in Taiwan and Hong Kong (As It Is In Heaven and Chariots of Fire). I did a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock and stood stubborn in my stance about watching Bollywood movies.
In terms of self-awareness, this ranks up there with my music playlist of the past 8 months. Hmm…but that’s a bit too big for here.
There’s nothing like a combination of friend’s DVD collections, international HBO and in-flight entertainment to make a hell of strange viewing list. As I thought about it one day, I actually realized that the list of movies I’ve watched on this trip says quite a bit about where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, what’s been available and what I’ve needed from my movie experiences. In general chronological order:
So I Married an Axe Murderer
Kung Fu Panda
Hairspray
The Last Mimsy
Goal
Goal 2
Slumdog Millionaire
Eagle Eye
The Office (British)
Leatherheads
About Schmidt
As it is in Heaven (Swedish)
Rope
North by Northwest
Valkyrie
Chariots of Fire
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace
Die Hard 4
Kate and Leopold
Triple X
A Beautiful Mind
Quantum of Solace
The Reader
Payback
Spiderman 3
The Illusionist
Wall-E
I could make conclusions out of this list that still amaze me. Like when I got sick in China and was so desperate for an English movie that I happily tuned in to a romantic comedy. I watched movies I swore to myself that I would never watch (Spiderman 3). I saw breakthrough movies that lifted me during a malaise in Taiwan and Hong Kong (As It Is In Heaven and Chariots of Fire). I did a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock and stood stubborn in my stance about watching Bollywood movies.
In terms of self-awareness, this ranks up there with my music playlist of the past 8 months. Hmm…but that’s a bit too big for here.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
10 Years. 5 Questions. 1 Can-Opener.
Ten years ago I graduated from high school in New Jersey. One of my best friends from that time was recently asked to make the keynote speech to the senior class on “Career Day”. Looking for some brainstorming partners to develop the content, he sent out an email to three of us from our graduating class.
The question was simple: If you had a chance to talk to 100 high school seniors from Princeton Day School about “career”, what would you tell them? I have spent a fair amount of time with high school students and I liked the three people in the loop – I enjoyed the chance to respond. With thoughtful input from an international lawyer, an environmental scientist, a traveling educator and a grad student, the conversation flew around the earth from New York to China, Holland to Colorado. Each added his unique input and a collection of themes emerged. Looking at them now, I think they are questions that are applicable to me now and probably to many of you. They are themes that can keep being revisited in terms of vocation and life’s calling.
1. What is the lingering question that keeps coming back to you? How can you apply that to how you live and what you “do”?
2. When you listen at the soul-level, what do you hear?
3. What is the moral imperative in your life?
4. What will you do with the “opportunity of privilege” you’ve been given by God, your parents and your community?
5. What is the authentic you? How do you live authentically/What will your life look like if you are living authentically?
A I move into a new transition time, I welcome the questions. They prod at the can inside each of us. The can that we often don’t open up. Because we know what’s inside. It’s a million opportunities, gifts, fears, mysteries, uglies and beautifuls. All of its a bit intense. It’s daunting to think about opening it up and letting the contents of that can explode onto the canvas of life. But it’s also where the real genius lies.
Pour one out for my can-openers worldwide…one time…
The question was simple: If you had a chance to talk to 100 high school seniors from Princeton Day School about “career”, what would you tell them? I have spent a fair amount of time with high school students and I liked the three people in the loop – I enjoyed the chance to respond. With thoughtful input from an international lawyer, an environmental scientist, a traveling educator and a grad student, the conversation flew around the earth from New York to China, Holland to Colorado. Each added his unique input and a collection of themes emerged. Looking at them now, I think they are questions that are applicable to me now and probably to many of you. They are themes that can keep being revisited in terms of vocation and life’s calling.
1. What is the lingering question that keeps coming back to you? How can you apply that to how you live and what you “do”?
2. When you listen at the soul-level, what do you hear?
3. What is the moral imperative in your life?
4. What will you do with the “opportunity of privilege” you’ve been given by God, your parents and your community?
5. What is the authentic you? How do you live authentically/What will your life look like if you are living authentically?
A I move into a new transition time, I welcome the questions. They prod at the can inside each of us. The can that we often don’t open up. Because we know what’s inside. It’s a million opportunities, gifts, fears, mysteries, uglies and beautifuls. All of its a bit intense. It’s daunting to think about opening it up and letting the contents of that can explode onto the canvas of life. But it’s also where the real genius lies.
Pour one out for my can-openers worldwide…one time…
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