Beautifully out of focus

This is the current anonology I’m using for my life. Nothing is totally clear or certain, there are some deeply held truths and some loosely fabricated ideas…and thats ok.

There is something in uprooting and being in a completely foreign environment that challenges all the things you think you know, in what you see.

What is safe ? This is a re occurring idea for me, I’m beginning to think safe is as much a product of our mind as it is a reality. As a believer in Gods sovereignty, I am safe in his perfect will for me, however there is a practical side to safe whose design is to keep us from harm. What is becoming more obvious to me is how difficult it is to discern. Let me colour this in a bit for you. When I took my driving lesson, my instructor taught me as much about personal safety as he did the rules of the road. Here are a few of his STRONG suggestions , Lock your doors and keep windows up always, get a protective coating on your glass that can help prevent smash and grab, keep Nothing visiable ( all valuables tucked away in the boot) , always leave a car length distance when stopped so you can maneuver away if necessary, use your side mirrors actively when stopped, DO NOT FULLY STOP at red lights and signs if you are a woman travelling alone at night ( In fact dont travel alone at night if your female) , dont get in your car if there is someone nearby , it goes on…. I’m guessing your feeling pretty alarmed by this?! I certainly was, and yet by now I follow these simple routines and get on about my business with little to no stress. I often doubt that it is even necessary .I feel safe here and yet everything around me shouts “be careful”. In fact most transplants Ive met here would agree , use common sense and get on with it. Where it gets more tricky for me is “who is safe” ? I am a great believer in the inherent goodness in all of us and am most willing to look past the outward behaviour or apperance of broken people. To further my point ,there has not been a single person who I have looked in the eye and smiled at and not had it returned ( and I’ve done a lot of smiling). In fact , I have seen the absolute BEST smiles here in Africa , more then any other time or place in my life! Where I find my confidence falter is when I’m in the minority . No big surprise there, as it is one of the big reasons we came here , to experience being the minority. What I’m realizing Is that it is about being “known”. It’s the idea that you can be in a room full of acquaintances or strangers , and in equal measure not be truly known for who you are. Knowing and being known requires time and investment and interest, and out of that, we get our sense of worth and connection. I am getting a small sense of the isolation that occurs when you are unknown, unrecognized , and measured against an imagined standard.

Conclusions about “what it important?” To have a place where you gather with people who are known to you and accepted without constraint… and food…and love!

On a lighter note, the culture of the community I find myself in, values above all

1. The Braai ( BBQ)

2. Socializing with friends

3. Outdoor pursuits

4. Travel

5. Dogs

I can get behind that!!!!

💓

Jan