One of the greatest gifts of travel is that it forces you to interact with the world.  I’m a lousy “interactor” but I love to watch people.  I like “interesting”.  I can sit in an airport for hours just watching people as they go about their lives.  It redefines what is “normal”, although I’m beginning to believe that “normal” doesn’t even exist anymore.

My problem is that there is not enough time to talk to everyone that peaks my interest;  I’m curious about everything and I want to write it all down.  Also, I assume that others are just as curious as I am. Wrong!  Unfortunately, I also haven’t figured out a way to approach people and ask, what can sometimes be difficult questions, without bothering or offending the person(s).

The truth is that the people that I’m interested in don’t have to explain their choices or decisions to me or anyone else.  But I wish they would.  I would like to truly understand and learn as I’m certain some of their answers would be fascinating and very enlightening.  I would love to spend at least 5 minutes, with each of the three listed below, and just listen…

1.  Berlin Airport: Two Hari Krishna devotees, each wearing orangish  canvas brown colored “robes” and each sitting perfectly still, staring straight ahead. Each had a large urn sitting on the ground next to their right foot.  Each urn was wrapped in the same material as the garment they were wearing.  They did not flinch, nothing, for 45 minutes.  I wanted to know the “why” and suddenly they were gone…
2. However you may feel about this person, there is most likely, a very fascinating life story here…
3. Chicago Airport:  A Muslim family sitting together.  Four women, two fully covered including their faces, except for the eyes and the other two fully covered, except that their faces were exposed.  They appeared to be about the same age.  The men were in shorts and T-shirts.  I am curious about the “why” and I  don’t want to read it from a book.  I wish I knew someone who is a Muslim that I could ask.  I wish I could have asked them…

Three different stories, three different sets of lives.  What they appear to all have in common though, is that they are each very passionate in guiding the direction of the life they’ve chosen to live.   We should all strive to learn the “why” and then maybe, we too would understand.