 Today I am reflecting on the word "want". It began with hearing someone say "I wouldn't want it any other way" to describe a new travel adventure. I wondered, what would be different if anything was not as they wanted.
In three weeks I will be heading out on my own travel adventure. All I am aware of is that I want to go. and I want to see certain people and places. Beyond that I am not sure what I want. Not even sure what to expect. I almost feel that having too much want beyond that would get in the way of fully appreciating the experience. I certainly do not want anyone to get sick or hurt. But I am open to the possibility of that happening, just because things happen, and plan to role with whatever comes. Currently I am visiting my daughter in Michigan. I had to postpone my road-trip a day because the first great winter storm hit the midwest the day I'd "wanted" to travel. We had around six inches of snow. I had to dig out of the drive way. After thirty minutes of shoveling, my dad suggested that maybe I shouldn't go. I was not going to be deterred. I was pretty sure that beyond our poorly shoveled street that the roads were drivable. It wasn't so much that I was thinking, I want this trip, so I'm going to do it. It was more that i felt called to this trip, so whatever it took I would forge through. My wants were pretty irrelevant. I didn't want it to snow, I didn't want to shovel, I didn't want five hours of driving. I did want to go and see my friend and my daughter and I am so appreciating the journey. I questioned my self for asking my friend, who has metastic cancer and doesn't expect to live beyond summer, what she wanted or hoped for in this leg of her journey with cancer. She wants to not have pain, but it is with her always. She wonders how she can appreciate the life around her and still within her through this pain. I find her courage in taking what comes as best as she can. Appreciating that some times things are better. Some times she is angry and frustrated, because none of this she wants. However, she doesn't dwell there in anger. It helps nothing. Her journey is a difficult one. I am grateful to her for sharing it. We all must navigate our wants, our fears, our pains and discover our appreciation along the way. My expressed intention is to appreciate the journey as it unrolls. In whatever I do or say to be thankful to God through my Lord Jesus for the life that is given and the path that lies ahead.
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4 Weeks - Waiting   My favorite travel waiting family photo All plans and reservations have been set. What is left is the waiting. I keep reminding myself that there are still many details, such as packing. And, even greater, here we are at Christmas. The time for celebration and family. Yet, my mind is in a state of anticipation. My wrestless heart waits for what lies ahead. I have spent a lot of my life waiting. Traveled enough to hurry to many a station , like the one in the photo, to wait. One would think that I would have learned an effective practice. I tend to be anxious. I wish I were more like a child, having a gleeful anticipation for things like Christmas, Birthdays, and trips to Disney. This little video reminds me to turn my anxiety into wonder. Click to see video: The excitement and wonder of a child.....and utter trust. May there also be that child like wonder and anticipation in this Christmas. The world is in desperate need of the Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.  Five more weeks before we go. It took a while for Dad's visa to come. But it is here. So by this weekend I'll finally settle all of our reservations for travel within India.
Today was the last day of my Hindi class, but I continue to study. This was my final project. Not top notch, but what more can one hope for from a begginer, if I may say so myself. For those of you who can read Hindi this might be interesting. मैं एक उपन्यास लिख रहा हूँ| I am writing a novel. यह प्रथम विश्व युद्ध WWI से पहले भारत में रहता है, lt is life before WWI जो अपने पूर्वजों के जीवन के बारे में है The life of my ancestors वे जर्मनी से ईसाई मिशनरियों किये आये थे। They were Christian missionaries who came from Germany और आदिवासी लोगों के साथ काम करते थे| And worked with Aboriginal people कहानी आजादी के लिए आदिवासी के इतिहास The story tells about the history of the Adivasi और ब्रिटिश राज के साथ संघर्ष के बारे में बताता है। And tells about the conflict with the British Raj. उपन्यास में हर कोई Everyone in the novel एक तेजी से बदलती दुनिया में अपनी पहचान और Their identity in a fast changing world उद्देश्य को खोजने के लिए मांग कर रहा हैं | Are seeking to find their purpose मैं ज्यादातर ऑनलाइन उपन्यास के लिए शोध करते हैं I mostly do research for the novel online इतिहास में चार पीढ़ियों पहेले से मेरे दादा-दीदी डोरिस और फेर्दिनंद History of four generations prior to my grandparents Doris and Ferdinand वे स्कूलों शुरू किया गये थे\ They had started schools वे घरो और काम चंडाल के लिए बनाया गये थे| They created houses and work for the outcastes वे लोगों को अधिव्क्न्ताओ थे They were people’s advocates वे एक स्वयांत्त ईसाई चर्च शुरू में मदद की They helped start an autonomous Christian Church. वे एक बड़ा परिवार थे They had a big family बच्चे जर्मनी में स्कूल बेजा गये थे| The children were sent to school in Germany दो लडकी को भारत में पढ़ी थी| Two girls studied in India चार पीढ़ियों के पीछे किये और भारत में रह चुके हैं | Four generations after have lived in India. और आज आदिवासी को आधे लोगों इसाईं लोग हैं | And Today half the Adivasi are Christian people. दक्षिण एशिया सम्मेलन पिछले साल के लिए मेरा शोध के लिये बहुत मदद किया था| South Asia conference last year was great help to my research आदिवासियों के बारे में विषयों की एक बहुत थे। There were a lot of topics about Adivasis इस साल सम्मेलन में मैंने पसंद कीया लेखकों उपने काम के बारे बात सुनवाई\ This year I enjoyed hearing writers talk about their work. मैं अभीतक उपन्यास नहीं लिखा हूँ । Now, I have never written a novel. तो यह एक बड़ी चुनौती है। So this is a big challenge. मैं शोध कर रहा हूँ और UW-Extension में भी लेखन कार्यशालाओं ले लिया हूँ | I am researching and I have also taken writing workshops at the UW Extension मैं जगह, चरित्र, आवाज, संघर्ष, और साजिश के बारे में लिखने के लिए सीखना पढ़ा हूँ | I have had to learn how to write about Place, Character, Voice, Conflict, and Plot इस शोध बहुत रोचक बनाता है। This makes the research very interesting. यह उदाहरण है की मुझे पता करना है की १८७१ में जब वे शाधी कीये रांची केसा था \ For instance, I have to find out what Ranchi was like in 1871 when they got married there. आज कल रांची यह एक बड़ा शहर है। तो उन दिनों में केवल गाओ था। Now it is a big city. Then it was just a town. जंगले की हालत केसा था? What was the condition of the jungle? लोगों क्या करते थे ? What did the people do? वे कैसे जीये ? क्या खाए? क्या कीये? उनके मकान कैसे थे? कैसे यात्रा करते थे ? किस किस्म कपरे पहिने? How did they live? Eat? Work? What kind of houses? How did they travel? What kind of clothes did they wear? इसके अलावा वे कैसे मरा? Also how did they die? क्योंकी मंसूरी में 1910 mein मेरा बरा-महान-दादा की मौत और कफन हूआ | Because, my great grandfather died and was buried in 1910 in Mussorie. मैंने मुन्सूरी में पढ़ी लेकिन उस समय मुझे मालूम नही थी| Mussoorie is where I studied but I didn’t know about this. मंसूरी रांची से दूर है | रांची झारखण्ड में है | पुराने दिनों में झारखण्ड छोटानागपुर कहाँ गया Mussoorie is far from Ranchi. Ranchi is in Jarkhand. In old days Jarkhand was called Chotanagpur. मैं बहूत सवाल हैं | I have a lot of questions. पुराना भारत कैसे है ? हिंदुओं कब छोटानागपुर आया था? कब मुगलों आया था? ब्रिटिश आए, तब क्या हुआ? रेल आया था, तब क्या हुआ? कब बिजली बनाई थी? When did the Hindus come to Chotanagpur? When did the Moghuls come? What happened when the British came? What happened when the railroad came? When was electricity? क्या भाषाओं में बात कर रहे थे? और अपने पूर्वजों हिंदी और आदिवासी भाषाओं कैसे सीखे ? What languages were spoken? How did my anscestors learn Hindi and the tribal languages? बहुत जवाब भारत में सीखाया जायेगा Many answers will be taught in India. December 8th is a significant date in the family tree. 144 years ago Doris and Ferdinand Hahn were married in the magnificant church in Ranchi. 119 years ago their oldest daughter Louis married Karl Nottrott in the same church. 94 years ago the oldest Nottrott daughter, Marie married Herman Feierabend, in the USA, but they went a year later to India about 400 miles south of Ranchi My parents were expected to get married in 1946 on the same date, but they just couldn't wait, so they got married in October. However, all four generations spent a considerable amount of their adult life in India. It all started with Doris and Ferdinand. All married 25 years apart. We have enjoyed these videos of a train ride found on youtube. The people are talking and singing about their land and history. Top video is short 5.5 minutes. The bottom one is longer. Sorry I can't give a translation. If you want to get a feel for travel in India....there are still places like this..... Enjoy! |
Mary GirardI will be traveling and visiting India, with my Father. Our primary destination in India is Ranchi, Jharkhand. We will also visit other towns and cities in that north-eastern region as well as other places in India. Archives
May 2016
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