Since the last time I was here a medical clinic has been built in front of Naveen's parents' apartment. They have a little porch that overlooks the clinic and we find ourselves out there quite often. The clinic serves the poorer of the population, and some days the line forms early and gets long fast. The other day the line wrapped all the way around the building out into the street. Naveen told me that possibly there was a well known visiting doctor that everyone wanted to see. I watched for a minute as a little girl laid her head in her mother's lap, and a woman next to her nursed her hungry baby. Then Naveen said something to me that was very insightful.
He told me about how he remembered waiting for hours in similar lines while growing up. He said people look down on Indians a lot because they are late to things or start things long after said time, but when you're used to always waiting for the things you need like medical attention it doesn't matter how long it takes or what time you're finished you just do what you have to. That's why Indians don't worry too much about time.
It was eye opening to me. Yes I've been one of those said people before waiting for others to show up for dinner with a grumbly stomach irritated because we were supposed to start forever ago. This led me to think about all the ways time affects the American daily life. I had a friend comment on one of my posts that her sister is so outgoing and friendly and when she tries to talk to some people on the bus or other places they seem annoyed that their life has been interrupted. I must say that I might not be so different if I was walking down the aisles of the grocery store trying to get things done in a "timely" fashion in order to get to the next thing in life if someone tried to strike up a conversation with me. Here in India I know that if I needed help with something, or if I wanted to talk to someone on the street even if they were busy they wouldn't hesitate to drop everything and take some time out for me. It's relationship over convenience really.
As I write this I think about how little I've clock watched or thought about the time here. It seems like a lot less pressure. I understand the importance of keeping things on a time frame. We need schedules sometimes to keep us motivated and progressing. Sometimes I wonder though if we worry too much about time. When I go home I want to live this out a little more. When a little old lady asks me about my baby in the grocery store instead of a quick answer and a smile I'll actually keep the conversation going for a few minutes. When my neighbor waves hi to me, I'll actually walk over and talk to them and see how they are doing. I really just want to be less tied to the clock and more about loving others.
He told me about how he remembered waiting for hours in similar lines while growing up. He said people look down on Indians a lot because they are late to things or start things long after said time, but when you're used to always waiting for the things you need like medical attention it doesn't matter how long it takes or what time you're finished you just do what you have to. That's why Indians don't worry too much about time.
It was eye opening to me. Yes I've been one of those said people before waiting for others to show up for dinner with a grumbly stomach irritated because we were supposed to start forever ago. This led me to think about all the ways time affects the American daily life. I had a friend comment on one of my posts that her sister is so outgoing and friendly and when she tries to talk to some people on the bus or other places they seem annoyed that their life has been interrupted. I must say that I might not be so different if I was walking down the aisles of the grocery store trying to get things done in a "timely" fashion in order to get to the next thing in life if someone tried to strike up a conversation with me. Here in India I know that if I needed help with something, or if I wanted to talk to someone on the street even if they were busy they wouldn't hesitate to drop everything and take some time out for me. It's relationship over convenience really.
As I write this I think about how little I've clock watched or thought about the time here. It seems like a lot less pressure. I understand the importance of keeping things on a time frame. We need schedules sometimes to keep us motivated and progressing. Sometimes I wonder though if we worry too much about time. When I go home I want to live this out a little more. When a little old lady asks me about my baby in the grocery store instead of a quick answer and a smile I'll actually keep the conversation going for a few minutes. When my neighbor waves hi to me, I'll actually walk over and talk to them and see how they are doing. I really just want to be less tied to the clock and more about loving others.
Also a great point. I was listening to this science thing on the radio and it was talking about how time is really how our brains organize it and how time is different to everyone.. It was confusing and very philosophical but when I thought about it I guess it kinda makes since cuz God is timeless. He's eternal and sees beginning and end. Kinda puts things in a different perspective.
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