I didn’t venture too far afield until I married my husband, who was in the U.S. Air Force. For the next twenty-some years, “Uncle Sam” had the say in where we lived — even though we had the chance to fill out a “dream sheet” with our preferences. I liked to tell people that my husband was the military guy and I was the civilian along for the ride.
We didn’t move as much as other military families, but still our family learned the slogan “Home is where the Air Force sends you.” Reading today’s quote had me remembering the various places we called home — including a two-year stay in Turkey. (I didn’t know the air force could send us to Turkey until he announced that was where we were going. I told my husband that must have been in fine print of our marriage license.)
And yes, it’s true, where I’ve been became a part of me. Lifelong memories were made every place we called home. Enduring friendships too. During our two years in Turkey, I went from an extreme case of culture shock — including a very public melt down in a local park — to visiting a remote section of the country with my husband. We shared a meal with the owner of a carpet shop who called my husband “his brother” while bartering with us about his carpets.
These experiences became a part of me … changed me … broadened my perspective of the world–and myself.
In Your Words: When has going somewhere changed you — become a part of you? Maybe you moved to a new state or maybe you went on a vacation, but somehow, someway, the place you went influenced who you are today. I’d love to hear about it!
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When I was 19 I moved to North Mississippi from neighboring Memphis, then to the opposite corner of the state. It’s the place I stayed after my husband died, even though I had no family in the area. But I had friends. Lots of them. And it’s my home, but after this last winter, I hear Florida (where my girls live) calling.
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I understand how friends can become anchors … can become “home.” One of the things about living as a military family, we have friends all over the world. An amazing blessing.
Beth, it’s true. The places we visit can become a part of us. I visited Turkey on a tour, and it fascinated me! I still think about that trip, and the culture. So different from our own.
A missions trip to the Philippines changed the way I view the world. It gave me a greater understanding of how most of the world lives. The people are so friendly, and real. It made me both thankful for all that we have, and a little ashamed for how I spend what we have sometimes. Most of all, I saw a genuine love for God in the people we met. Loved that two weeks over there!
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Jeanne: I didn’t know you’d visited Turkey! Do you have chai glasses? 🙂 And yes, I think visiting other countries widens our perspective. We can tend to have tunnel vision, can’t we?
No chai glasses, but I bought a silk on silk carpet (about 12″ x 12″–all my budget could afford). 🙂
There’s a line from a poem, “I am a part of all that I have met” that’s similar. I’ve been blessed to travel lots and love it, and am about to go again. I’ve been in Israel 89 days during 6 trips over 25 years and find myself very connected to people I know personally and events. We’re increased by these things. I have one Spanish-Argentinian friend who is very anti-American. She appraised me approvingly one day and said, “You’re not American, you’re cosmopolitan,” defined as “free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; at home all over the world,”.and I knew that in her books I’d been highly complimented.
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“We’re increased by these things.”
So well said, Dee. Well said.
So I just looked it up, found that’s a line from Tennyson’s blank verse Ulysses–reading it now, I didn’t realize how appropriate it is–glad to be back in touch with it.
After one year in Baumholder/Idar-Oberstein (Germany)–a deployment year, the Army sent us to the desert of El Paso. It was the fall of 2012. God cuts the orders, right? We weren’t Christians, but God put us in the desert, on a post facing a Mexican mountain with huge white words that translate into “The Bible is the truth – read it.” All we new about Fort Bliss was that a friend from Fort Benning was here. She took us to church. I was born again in January of 2013, my husband in July of 2013, our son in December of 2013, and our little girl in the summer of 2015. And I’m now a Christian author. My debut comes out next May. Is He good, or is He good? 😉