Catching up with time - YoM Day 292

Nine months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 292.  Yesterday, I talked about the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in life. Today is a new day.

"Middle age is the awkward period when Father Time starts catching up with Mother Nature." - Harold Coffin

I went to the mall today and as someone who used to work in a mall for years and was able to see its change/progression, it's crazy seeing how the mall I used to go to has changed in the last few years. The aisles were bigger, the ceilings were higher, and everything was flashier. It was crazy. It was like even though I went back in time-zones, I had flown myself a few years into the future. Does that make me a time-traveler? The cultural differences between America and Japan were really apparent to me. Although Japan does a good job in creating aesthetically pleasing things, it's not always an indication of its actual quality. Take the food. American diners like Denny's might look a little plain compared to a high-end restaurant the food still tastes great and is satisfying.

Things like that are what make traveling interesting. You get to see the sights and form new opinions on your hometown because now you have to compare it to. When I first started living in Japan it was like going to a new world, but in coming back to visit America it's crazy seeing how things have changed and progressed. It's like looking at old videos of yourself and comparing how things have changed since then. It's really interesting.

This made me think a lot about progress. Not only with myself, but it feels like as the world is moving on and doing its own thing I'm getting left behind and I'm missing out on a whole lot. Seeing the modern world has made me want to see what's really going on more. In a way it's really sparking my explorative nature. While I usually like checking out historical sites, I hardly spend time in modern places anymore. If I went to a really old-fashioned place, lived there for a year, and came back to modern society I can only imagine my initial reaction. Humans adapt quickly and so they could integrate fine after some time, but the change in perspective is so big yet so slick that I hardly notice it happen. It was like I immersed so much of myself into Japan's culture that I forgot a bit own my own.

This vacation has been a good experience in me getting back in touch with myself and figuring out where I wanna go with my life. If there's ever a good lesson it's the one taught from experience. Getting older can be so weird.

                                                                                                                  Peace

Catching up with the times, like any race, is something done thoroughly and at our own pace. It's our life and our time that we're using. Let it be spent as we please.