Outback in Virginia

People will stare.

It’s amazing how you get so used to your surroundings, from both sides of the coin. You get used to the environment that you live in and people get used to what they see in their own environment. It’s like aliens from Mars when you see someone that you aren’t used to seeing. It happens everywhere. Being 6’4”, I guess I get my fair share of staring just because I am a giant.

When you walk into a neighbourhood in New York that you haven’t been into, it’s like walking into another world. New York is the most accepting and open minded city in the world, yet when something is so open, it allows for all types to come in. While you want to be in a place where you are accepted, you still have to be aware that others will be just like you and want the same thing, yet will have completely opposite views as you.

Going to other cities in the US, the US having such a broad spectrum of people living in it’s borders, sometimes you might walk into that “neighbourhood” that isn’t full of people welcoming you with open arms.

I’m in Virginia right now, a state that kind of borders, figuratively, on being considered the south or the north. The south, a word that puts a weird feeling in my stomach having grown up all over the south and been put down because I was “different” my entire time there. It’s a little unsettling to be in an area when you feel out of place. You are constantly on guard that someone is going to say something to you or worse, get violent. How much of it is in our heads though? How much of it is that you think they are going to say something therefore you expect them to say something? Meanwhile, they are just living their own life, not thinking twice about you. But, that being said, they can’t take their eyes off of you, trying to figure you out.

I went to Outback Steak House last night. (There aren’t many choices by the hotel.) I felt like I was on display the entire time. We have a joke… “Yes, the circus has come to town.”  Now, I will get a little partial here.  Many tourists come to New York and will ask me directions from time to time. I answer and move on. They are not from New York, they don't look like they are from New York but they are there enjoying the city. People like or do different things, why can’t we just let each other be even if we don’t agree on any level?

I love Japan and as this goes on, you will come to see my obsession with the country. The Japanese people are very to themselves. They are very polite. But at the same time, they have a wonderfully subtle way of staring. You have no idea unless you know how to spot it.  They are very respectful and at the same time, very true to themselves and their beliefs. A bit rigid at times and some could say conservative. Quite conservative. A friend asked me if I still liked the Japanese mentality even if they may or may not accept my thoughts and beliefs. Yes, most definitely! The thing about the Japanese people is that they may not agree with you, but they will never put you down for something that you believe in. They will never confront you. They may disagree but they will look past it and see what else there is to you. We may not have the same views on many things but there is always something that we have in common, we are both living on this planet, trying to get by. It’s all very Buddhist.