Parts of the Puzzle Project

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October 21

I like where I am right now. St Louis is an explosion of bright colors, its streets are easels and god is spilling red, yellow, orange and green all over the place. Some parts of the city are so beautiful it really takes my breath away. Sidewalks are permanently covered in dry, crunchy leaves, a child’s paradise, better than any trampoline I think! The weather doesn’t really remember if it is summer or winter and every now and then we get a day warm enough to wear t-shirts.

And as much as I hate dreary days now, sometimes a cloudy, overcast sky just makes the fall colors stand out even more, it’s kind of like the trees are playing Holi!

Anyways, so its mid-semester and I seem to have gotten the hang of homework, work-work and house-work. I still stress out about crumbs, but less so about group projects that loom around the corner, despite all telltale signs suggesting people are not going to be quite the go-getter types that one would want to have in one’s group. I’ve gone to the gym three times in the past week, which I feel is commendable, my legs would beg to differ right now but hey, it was almost fun working up a sweat. Almost. And I’m going to Boston this coming week so I’m kind of excited.

I think my class on spirituality is really helping me keep a clear head and constantly prioritize. I’ve also been practicing deep, slow breathing from the stomach and learning about different religions. It amazes me to read about so many different religions and find so many similarities!

Did you know Hinduism is henotheistic? It basically acknowledges that other religions exist and other people can have a different means of connecting with God. Many of their prayers are for all of humanity. I was quite impressed. I also loved learning about Native American spirituality; they too believe in one supreme power and they have a deep love and respect for nature. Many tribes have a practice of giving something to the earth, a small but meaningful gesture, when they dig up something from the ground. Giving back. Reciprocity.
If only people knew more about their religions (like Muslims), we would be a better world.

Speaking of better worlds, I am once again compelled to pull my blinds down to the storm of negativity wreaking havoc outside. Newspapers, people – everyone has a story of extremism, or crime, or illiteracy or broken dreams to share. And you know what, I don’t want it. If people are going to turn their backs on the positives, I’m going to ignore the negatives.

So, I am moving to the back of my house and throwing open the windows and doors, heck I’m knocking down the walls so I can look out at the beauty that always exists.

I haven’t had a very good track record with blog goals but I have a tentative one: writing about the positive pieces of the puzzle that is my country. The greener grass, the people who make it worthwhile and urge me to keep looking in that direction. So, every week I will write about a person who makes Pakistan a beautiful place to be.  I can crib and rave about the amount of work I have or the pretty leaves on the pretty trees but I have to include a narrative about an individual who has touched my life in some way in some part of my country.

Ha!

Challenge accepted.

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