Our experiences of/in Spain were wonderful. The countryside is beautiful and in many cases breathtaking. The people were genuine, hardworking and friendly. And the food, while not seasoned perhaps to our taste, was interesting and honest — all of which made for a worthwhile trip and many photographs.
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
Worthwhile — an interesting word. I can’t remember a trip in my life where I didn’t gain something from the experience. Of course that’s not to say travel is always pleasant. I’ve had my share of what at the time seemed a disaster, but afterwards still provided lessons learned and experiences gained.
The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a WALL!”
Reading can be great preparation for travel but it can’t take its place. Reading about the world and not directly experiencing it can be like going to a great restaurant, ordering their most popular dish and then watching someone else eat it for you.
Do we view travel as a luxury, something we lightly engage in only if it doesn’t interfere with something else? Do we find it easier to close ourselves off into our own comfortable little worlds of the familiar, limiting exposure to perspectives, experiences, cultures and beliefs different than our own? It’s easy to come to view the world through our narrow vision believing there is only one way–our way.
This comfort zone living is so prevalent travel companies cater to a huge market offering travel packages with groups of like people, staying in like places which cater to the perspectives of like people — often with all the excitement of experiencing the world from behind glass.
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, “Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a SPEAR!”
I see myself as a growing plant. My personal growth is limited only by the size of the container I choose to live in. Expanding beyond my comfort zone, exposing myself to the unfamiliar, forcing myself to confront preconceptions and prejudices with realities–this is what promotes empathy, understanding and tolerance. You can’t realize how small your container is until you venture outside it.
How far outside? I enjoy traveling within the United States, have done a good bit of it and hope to do much more. It’s a large country with lots of diversity if you search for it. And while certainly beautiful and enjoyable, it doesn’t offer as great of a shift in perspective or opportunity for confronting the unfamiliar as traveling outside its boundaries.
The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a SNAKE!”
I’m a bit of a paradox, which I suspect most are in their own way. Bonnie calls me “cave man” because I’m an extreme introvert who’s happy to spend lots of time at home, in my cave. But there’s a wanderlust side to me which can happily step outside my cave without plans or agendas. Although I’m not a daredevil, I have at times made the conscious effort to push my caveman to the side to make travel happen. I’m not certain how my two sides peacefully co-exist, but when it comes to appreciating the world around me, I’m glad they do.
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he:
“‘Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a TREE!”
We often speak of living in the moment. I recently watched the 2007 documentary film, “A Map for Saturday” about long-term solo travel around the world. Almost to a person everyone featured in the documentary agreed that while they are traveling, every day felt like a Saturday. Even from my own limited experiences of traveling, when you are a stranger in an unfamiliar land, being in the moment is a natural state. You’re alive within the experience and often lose track of what day it is. From that perspective, traveling can be addictive to me.
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a FAN!”
What role does travel and experience play in life? Have you seen a patchwork quilt where each small square is a pattern of its own but also a part of a larger design? After sixty plus years my quilt is getting pretty well assembled. It’s stitched together by my experiences, my strengths and my weaknesses. I’m sure the vibrancy of the colors have been greatly enhanced by the inescapable changes in me from experiencing other places and cultures. While hard to define, I believe it’s made me a little less ignorant and a lot more tolerant.
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a ROPE!”
What would I say to myself if I could go back in time to when I was young? I would tell myself to not get lost in the American dream of family, career and home — there would be time for that in the future. I would tell myself to live lightly both from material possessions and state of mind. I would tell myself to not be constrained by the endless searching and doubts of who I am or should become. Instead, I would tell myself to look outward, move forward even when uncertain, and experience as much of the world as possible. And in that process I would surely find and redefine myself.
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
The Blind Men and the Elephant
John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)
I agree with Ella Maillart who said: “You do not travel if you are afraid of the unknown, you travel for the unknown, that reveals you with yourself.” I believe this is why Bonnie and I don’t often follow the standard tourist paths–preferring trips that are self guided and focus more on local life, cultures and customs. When my “journey” is finished and my quilt complete, I want it to reveal I knew something of the whole elephant.
Wow, Earl. This is truly great and thought-provoking. I’ve got so much to say that I don’t know what to say. I’m going to have to digest your words and write again later. Good stuff!
Thanks, Tom. I’m glad you liked it.
I’m finally trying to get caught up on a couple of weeks of blog posts, and I just read your latest one but wanted to get back to this one first. I’ve been thinking about this a lot but haven’t taken the time to try and verbalize.
Like a lot of things, what we do and what we enjoy has to come from within. We need to be able to take the time to figure out what means the most to us. What are our priorities, rather than some “bucket list” developed by a random magazine publisher to sell more advertising. What we are and how we feel is a product of our own existence and our own experiences. Comfort level has a lot to do with what we are willing to try. Not everyone has that voice that tells us to step out of the cave. But for those of us who do, we definitely need to listen.
Like you, I’ve pondered the idea of “if I knew then what I know now.” But I didn’t, and all of that contributes to where and who I am today. That tells me that the best approach (for me) is to make the best of what I have and who I am. And I think (and hope) that was your point!
Thanks for the follow-up comment, Tom.
“Not everyone has that voice that tells us to step out of the cave. But for those of us who do, we definitely need to listen.”
We may all have the same choir of voices running in our heads and it’s a matter of personal filters accumulated over the years as to which are the loudest or which we are most willing and most comfortable listening to. I believe even if the “leave the cave” voice isn’t shouting and ringing in our ears, especially if that’s the case, we owe it to ourselves to push — to discover if our “container” is smaller then we realize.
The “if I knew then exercise” was advice of personal lessons/experiences learned and while we can’t go back and change the past I want to be aware it doesn’t have to permanently define a future course. I can change and if the me in 10 or 20 years was to come back today, I wouldn’t want the advice to be I had all the tools to do more, but didn’t.
I think this line expresses to me the message of your post, “You can’t realize how small your container is until you venture outside it.” Travel changes us, if we let it and it seems you and Bonnie allow that to happen. I, too wish I’d traveled more in my younger years rather than pursuing the American dream. I have throughly enjoy you reports and images. Almost felt like I was there with you guys except for tasting the food.
Monte, I’m glad you could “take” the trip with us through these post and it’s a certainty that travel has been a growth experience for Bonnie and I.
Earl, this is one of the best articles on the topic of self discovery and travel I’ve read and I don’t just mean on your blog but anywhere, web, book or magazine. Every bit of me agrees with your perfectly expressed sentiment. Thanks.
Cedric, I don’t even know what to say…except thank-you! I appreciate your comment and opinion.
I love this wrap up of your trip Earl, and philosophy on travel in general. As Monte mentioned, that container is something many people haven’t ventured out of in their entire lives – whether it is their own small town, city, state, country, or continent. I think it might help some that take those little bits of elephant and tend to jump to conclusions about the whole animal.
Mark, The poem/story of the blind men and the elephant came to mind at the beginning of this articles creation and I knew it had to be a part of it. I whole heartedly agree with the points in your comment! I believe a lot of people don’t see the elephant at all, instead they hear or read about it from unreliable sources and then make judgements. Thanks!