I am not sure what all of you think about this rapture business and the predictions for 2012. Some may find it pure conspiracy, some may feel that the end is coming, others may be somewhere in between. I don’t have anything firm to say on the issue…all I really have is a sensation, and a deep emotional reaction to what is going on in the world as of late. Although I do not think the world will end today at 6pm Eastern Standard time (indeed, my training colleagues told me that is DEFINITELY WRONG as it will be on a FRIDAY after the a 40 year presence of a new Muslim prophet), it seems that the world is changing rapidly. My intuition tells me that all of us need to be prepared and at our best for the years to come, because it is going to be a tough and beautiful transition.
For me, being at my best and most prepared means to be utilizing my strengths as well as I can, and, to be working on myself and my own path. With that in mind, I have been doing some reflection about what my strengths and hopes are and also thinking about how to concentrate on making me a better person rather than on changing the world and others around me. Honestly, this is not really that easy for me…it is far more simple to ignore the transformation I can make within myself and instead distract myself and let the negative voices in my head win out. It is just so much easier to complain, blame and worry about others rather than concentrating on (my or) one’s own reactions. Sometimes being human can be a humiliating and tiring process, can’t it?
My head, as of late, seems to be a reflection of one aspect of Afghan culture. In Afghanistan one notes rather quickly a tone which seems to permeate society—a tone of pessimism. One of my colleagues, who is Afghan but has lived for many years in the states, is the perfect example. Every day as we ride to work he begins in on a diatribe of the many negative aspects of his home country. You might say…well, he has a lot to be negative about, Afghanistan is rough! Believe me, I do not deny that life is tough here, but one can also point out wonderful beauty and strengths in this culture. When a friend asked asked this same Afghan colleague ‘can you think of anything POSITIVE about Afghan culture?’ Our colleague took a long pause, thought, and began to respond, to our amusement, with a mouth-load of ‘but’ statement--as in…’there is beautiful nature here, BUT…everyone is ruining it, we are not utilizing it and in the city you cannot experience it’ or, ‘we finally have more electricity, BUT…it never works.’
I have been told by my Afghan friends that negativity is a common way for people to talk… which leads me to wonder why I still see so much hope bubbling over within people despite the pessimistic talk. I have heard some Afghans say that this attitude is cultural while others say it is situational, I cannot be sure as I have been here for so little time and have no idea how people felt or spoke before the conflict and before all this recent chaos entered into their lives. What I do see, is a great desire to overcome problems despite the frustrations. One colleague said to me…’it is all about us and how we face our situation, the only thing we can do is change ourselves, it is the only way to change society.’ I suppose this is true for everyone, and indeed I have related this to my own situation as well…I have to stop listening to the negative voices (most of them in my head!) and transform myself in order to be prepared for whatever ‘rapture’ may be coming.
