Enriched by Diversity: Unpacking India & Nepal (3)

by Kayce Stevens Hughlett

Our lives are enriched by diversity, not isolation… These are words I shared with a friend earlier today as she looked at a handful of photos from my recent trip to India. I can’t get India and Nepal out of my mind. I see the multitude of faces I encountered, hear the sounds of morning call to prayer and honking horns, and smell the aromas of sweet incense and fresh cow dung.

I ponder the current fear mongering and terrorist tactics in the world that threaten our free way of life. I read about a young friend (who up until now has been a world traveler) talk about staying home in the United States instead of pursuing her dreams to study foreign lands like Cuba and Africa. My heart breaks a little more and I realize that in these ponderings, I am becoming a political being, something I’ve avoided for much of my adult life.

I turn away from the obviously political rants about foreign policy and our current president’s antics. I scour the thousands of photos I took during those two weeks in Asia. My heart aches. My inner writer calls. The faces beckon me to tell their stories.

May 8, 2017

It is our last morning in Varanasi. I sit outside our hotel on the Ganges and feel the morning breeze. Two fluffy white dogs on leashes stroll by with their owner. The local mama street dog bristles in response. This is her turf.

A man in a t-shirt that reads The Art of Living stops by and sits with me. He takes my palm to read it. A long life. Second marriage. He sees my inner strength and says I carry an open heart. He talks about my karma and energy. He never asks for money and I don’t offer.

A boat sputters by and pigeons swoop over the golden and red flags flying from the abandoned palace.  A woman in turquoise tunic and purple pants walks back and forth along the rust-colored steps, performing her morning exercise before the heat of day becomes oppressive.

When I sit and write, many of the locals stop and stare. They wonder who this blonde woman in local attire is. Two young men wrapped in the white cloth of Brahmans stop and peer into my journal. I’ve become used to this type of curiosity here.

I hate that I’ve learned to walk without seeing the beggars; I see, but I don’t engage. It is against my nature to not connect, but I know I would be swarmed if I open my purse. So I carry no money. At least this way I can speak in truth when I’m asked to respond with a shake of my head and ‘sorry, no cash.’

A man, shirtless with a short white sarong, unwinds a pale green string along the ghat (the steps to the Ganges). The thread comes closer to me. I think of William Stafford, “There is a thread…” I wonder what this one means? The man turns and walks back toward me. I touch the thread. He speaks in Hindi, then says ‘hard’ or maybe ‘heart.’ It remains a mystery. He grabs the end and moves on. The thread catches on my back. I notice a father bathing his tiny son in the Ganges. The baby cries, shampoo in his eyes. While I’ve been watching them, Poof! The thread that moments before stretched the length of a football field is gone. The baby wails and runs to his mother. I want to wail along with him, because I will miss this place.

I still do.

I can’t imagine a world where visiting these places is no longer possible. My political being surfaces again. Tell your stories. Use your passports. Write your congressmen. We must fight for our freedom to keep borders open. Our lives are enriched by diversity, not isolation.

How is your life enriched? Will you tug the thread or let it lay as it is? Is there something that’s inviting you to begin (perhaps again)? 

I'm writing a new book! It's a travel memoir that covers the road from Oklahoma good girl to risk-taking globetrotter. Mainly, it's a journey toward voice :)  In the meantime, I hope you'll take a peek at BLUE: a novel and As I Lay Pondering: daily invitations to live a transformed life. 

Live it LIVE with my SoulStrolling partner, Sharon Richards and me this summer. Check out our mini-retreats here. 

#whyitravel #whyiwrite #citizenoftheworld #artistofbeingalive