Tuesday, July 25th, 2006
Its been about a month since my last post, as we have reached this midpoint of our trip. I really had no intention of forcing myself to blog, or blogging for the sake of blogging... but only when I felt I could share an observation or an insight; something that was worth preserving in this blog. And so... I present a few interesting observations.
It took some time living here to really begin to get a feel... but the pace of life here is relatively calm and slow. Most Libyans are content spending their time sitting around in the house having a family conversation or watching television together. No one is really in any hurry. Contrast this to the American pace, and you see that Americans are always moving, going somewhere... not to imply that they are moving forward in their lives and accomplishing while Libyans are not... but just that spending time with family at home is considered borish... and a waste of time... one must always have somewhere to go, somewhere to be... whether its work or school, or hanging out with friends, watching a movie, eating at a restaurant, going to the beach, playing sports, etc.
Another observation is that there are serious impediments to really achieving freedom here... freedom in the sense of financial freedom, freedom of self to move in pursuit of dreams. Most people seem to have lost ambition, motivation... they feel as though the path is blocked for them, that there are boundaries set out by this government, society, etc. And so many Libyans are really looking for the opportunity to travel to live abroad in the West. Whether it be America, Canada or Europe.
It reminds me of something I always used to say to myself: Where there is privilege there is responsibility. Most Americans did not immigrate to America, their fathers did... but they enjoy many freedoms they take for granted and sell themselves short. I believe it to be the responsibility of me as an American enjoying political and financial freedoms to reach for the sky. To become more than the average, to take full advantage of my privilege and help those that are not given the same. This is perhaps one of the most important reminders I will take with me on the way home to California.
Its been about a month since my last post, as we have reached this midpoint of our trip. I really had no intention of forcing myself to blog, or blogging for the sake of blogging... but only when I felt I could share an observation or an insight; something that was worth preserving in this blog. And so... I present a few interesting observations.
It took some time living here to really begin to get a feel... but the pace of life here is relatively calm and slow. Most Libyans are content spending their time sitting around in the house having a family conversation or watching television together. No one is really in any hurry. Contrast this to the American pace, and you see that Americans are always moving, going somewhere... not to imply that they are moving forward in their lives and accomplishing while Libyans are not... but just that spending time with family at home is considered borish... and a waste of time... one must always have somewhere to go, somewhere to be... whether its work or school, or hanging out with friends, watching a movie, eating at a restaurant, going to the beach, playing sports, etc.
Another observation is that there are serious impediments to really achieving freedom here... freedom in the sense of financial freedom, freedom of self to move in pursuit of dreams. Most people seem to have lost ambition, motivation... they feel as though the path is blocked for them, that there are boundaries set out by this government, society, etc. And so many Libyans are really looking for the opportunity to travel to live abroad in the West. Whether it be America, Canada or Europe.
It reminds me of something I always used to say to myself: Where there is privilege there is responsibility. Most Americans did not immigrate to America, their fathers did... but they enjoy many freedoms they take for granted and sell themselves short. I believe it to be the responsibility of me as an American enjoying political and financial freedoms to reach for the sky. To become more than the average, to take full advantage of my privilege and help those that are not given the same. This is perhaps one of the most important reminders I will take with me on the way home to California.
0 Responses to “Adventures in Tripoli, Libya”
Post a Comment