Life-lessons

LifeLessonsArthurFrommerToahundredcountriesandovermillionsofmiles,I’vetraveledforsome40years,andnowIamachangedpersonbecauseofit.Oneverytriptoeverywhere,justbeinginunfamiliarsurroundings,amongnewanddifferentpeople,altersone’sconsciousnessandcreatesnewbeliefs.WeAreAllAlikeIaminthedark,dirtyhutofaMasaifamilyineasternAfrica.Throughaninterpreter,thewomanofthehousetellsmethatshehopestolearntoread.Andwhy?Sothatshecanstudyahandbookonraisingchildren.Iamsittingcross-leggedonatatamimatintheapartmentofayoungJapanesecouple.Theirdaughter,theytellme,iscomplainingabouttheharshnessofherfirst-gradeteacher.IamaboardahouseboatontheNile.Theowneristalkingwithenthusiasmaboutarecentfilm.Travelhastaughtmethatdespitedifferencesindressandlanguageandcondition,alltheworld’speopleareessentiallyalike.Wehavethesameurgesandconcerns;weyearnforthesamethings.Andthosewhopatronizeothersorregardthemasfunnyorbackwardarefoolishindeed;theyhavenotlearnedthelessonsoftravel.WeAllThinkOurselvesVirtuousAtthebarofanAmsterdamcafeIamtalkingwithaDutchfriend.Lastnight,hetellsme,anationwidetelethon—alengthyTVprogram—raisedtheequivalentof80milliondollarsforcancerresearch.“OnlyinHolland,”hesays,“wouldtherebesuchanoutpouring.”Weallconsiderourselvesthebest;weallbelieveinthesuperiorityofourowncountryandculture.Howmanytimeshaveyouheardpoliticiansproclaimthisorthatnationtobethefinestonearth?Travelridsyouofthatsmugchauvinism;itexposesyoutothefinestineverylandandmakesyoudistinctlyuneasywhenyoulaterreturnhomeandhearpeopleproclaimingtheirownnationtobebetterthanothers.WeAreResponsibleforOneAnotherItistheearly1980s.DancingdownabroadboulevardinZagreb(萨格勒布)isasuccessionoflaughing,gailycladgroupsgatheredthereforafestivalofYugoslavia’snationalfolkdances.Fromthecurb,IwatchMuslimsandChristians,Bosnians,Croatians,andSerbscelebratingincompleteharmony.Now,yearslater,andbecauseoftravel,Irememberthemasdistincthumanpresences,notasabstractions—mereconcepts;IgetalmostphysicallyillwhenIreadoftheviolenceamongthem.Travelmakesitimpossibletoignorethesufferingsofotherssimplybecausetheyarefaraway;iterasesdistanceandtransformsyouintoamoresensitivecitizenoftheworld,theonlykindofpersonwhocancontributetopeace.ThereIsNoSingleSolutionforHumanProblemsIamwalkingthestreetsofHongKong,pastsignsforherbalmedicinesandacupuncturists,andallaroundaremillionsofpeopleperfectlycontentwiththeseapproachestopersonalhealthsodifferentfromourown.IamlyinginacopperbathtubfilledwithnaturallycarbonatedwaterinabathingestablishmentintheBelgiancityofSpa.Andalthoughmymindtellsmethat,scientificallyspeaking,watercuresarerubbish,Ifeelsomethinghappeningtomybodyandsuspectthatthe300millionEuropeanswhoembracesuchremediesmaynotbeaswrong-headedasourownmedicalestablishmentwouldhaveusbelieve.IgotocountrieslikeHolland,wherepeoplebylawmaynotbefiredfromtheirjobs,andtomyastonishmentmeetwealthyconservativeswhostaunchlydefendthisprohibition.Travelrevealsawholerangeofunusualpracticesthatmaysucceedindifferingcontexts;itsuggestsnewerapproachesforyourownsocietyandkeepsyoureceptivetonovelproposalsandexperimentsineveryfield.TravelKeepsUsYoungIsitonthatairplane,eatingawfulfood,breathingstaleair,feelingjet-laggedandachy,andtellmyselfthattravelisdeeplyfatiguingandunnatural.AndyetwhenIemergeinanunfamiliarairportandcity,Ifeelchallengedandalive.Thereisstilllanguagetoattempt,anewhistorytoabsorb,anotherculturetoencounter.Andthoughsomeofitmaydismayratherthanenchant,itisneveruninteresting;yourmindisconstantlyawhirlwithideasandimpressions.Andevenwhenyoubelieveyouhaveexhaustedthestoreofnewdestinationsandcultures,youdiscoverthatyoucanenjoythemonadeeperlevel.I’mcurrentlystudyingItaliansothat1canbetterenjoyacountryI’vevisitedahundredtimes.TravelTeachesUsHumility,theBestHumanTraitInthecourseofalongtrip,IarriveatlastatanEnglish-speakingcountrysay,Australia—andgrabforalocalnewspaper.Wonderofwonders,there’snotasinglestoryinitaboutmyownU.S.ofA.Shockingandimpudent,these“foreigners”daretoprefertheirownconcernsandmattersclosertohand.Welearn,throughtravel,thattheworlddoesnotrevolvearoundusalone,thatwenolongerruletheEarth,thatnoteveryoneworshipsourlifestyleorenviesus.Thatkindofdiscoverymakesusdifferentfromthosepuffed-up,closed-mindedboostersandbraggartswhosometimesdominateourpublicdiscourse.YoubecomeaquieterAmericanand,inmyopinion,-smarterandmoreproductiveone.Travel,formany,ismerelyaformofrecreation.Buttravelisnowbecomingrecognizedaseducation.Certainly,ithasacompellingeffect,oftengreaterthanthatofanyotheractivity,evenextensivereading.Ithaschangedmylife,andIbelievethatyou,too,maywanttoreflectonhowithasalteredyourownconsciousness.Oursisthefirstgenerationinhumanhistorytotraveltoothercontinentsaseasilyasweoncetookatrolleytothenexttown.Darewehopethataccesstoalargerworldwillresultinmoreunderstanding,inhumanbeingsmoretolerantandpeaceful?(982words)