Long time, no post. I know. It is not that I have been too busy or that I've had nothing to blog about. But my mind has been full and busy.
I am 27 now. I'm working and living in paradise. Life is simple here. I have my small group of special friends with whom I spend most of my time. I am learning Hebrew. I am enrolled in an all-girls surfing class on Friday mornings and I work on the weekends making pizzas at weddings and private parties. My boss is a man named Urian who reminds me a lot of Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld.
I have had a lot of free time to create. I have been working on some ideas that I am hoping can lead to a sustaining career. I have been painting a lot. Monsters mostly but really anything that makes me laugh.
Sometimes I look at pictures of myself before the kibbutz and I wonder how I lived. I shopped too much. Spent too much money. I wasn't patient. I had a lot of trouble relaxing. I had so many clothes. I had an awesome haircut.
Now I survive just fine with 5 t-shirts and two pairs of shorts. I had more...but they got lost in the laundry over time. My $75 bang cut has grown out and my mascara dried up a long time ago. My toes are unpolished and my mind is quiet. I am smiling easier. At home I couldnt live without my car. Now I am learning how to walk slowly and enjoy the amble. I never realized that I walked so fast. I think it is a city thing...Something you pick up in America when to have so much to do that you have to drive 80 mph and then sprint in order to finish half of it.
For those of you that don't know, when I was younger I compiled a list of things that I wanted to accomplish in my life. I take this list very seriously. Somethings on the list are relatively simple - things like eating white asparagus or milking a cow (which has proven a little more difficult than expected). Other things are more abstract - things like learning patience. A long time ago, living on a kibbutz got added to the list. I am proud of myself that I made this dream come true.
People at home are starting to get anxious that I am still here...I think people are looking for a plan. I know that when I left everyone, including myself, thought I would be away for 5 months. Now I have been away for 7 months. For now, I am simply trying to appreciate this gift that I have been given. I am very lucky to have such an incredible and supportive family at home and to be able to live here. This is an experience that is changing my life and my way of thinking. I am trusting myself more, connecting to my thoughts and respecting myself.
I love Israel. It took me a long time to get here. At first, (and still sometimes) I found Israel a really difficult place to be. The people are very different from the people in the U.S. It has been said that an Israeli is like a cactus. Thorny and prickly on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. It took me a long time to get through the thorns and to feel comfortable. But now I am slowly falling in love with the people. As communication becomes easier, I have started to feel less isolated and more confident here. I am learning to appreciate the quirky Israeli way.
Here is a personal experience which I think very much illuminates the difference between Israel and America...
The other day I went with Shachar to the hospital in Jerusalem for an MRI. One of the two MRI machines was broken and there were atleast 20 people waiting. We got to the hospital at 3pm and waited until 7. It was a long wait.
In the waiting room in a U.S. hospital, people (myself included) would be sitting alone...maybe reading a magazine, talking on the phone or watching TV...only leaving thier own bubble to periodically complain about the wait. Some people even considering it a personal affront to have to wait...as if the MRI machine broke just to spite them.
During our wait in Jerusalem everyone in the waiting room became friends. We moved the chairs around to sit in a circle together. By the end of the day, we all knew about each others lives...where everyone came from, what they were doing, why they were in Israel...etc. We played Rummikub together...and everyone shared their different methods of playing. When it was dinner time and we were still waiting, the receptionist shared her dinner with us. It was a meeting of friends.
This happens all the time in Israel. The country is so small that it is not uncommon to find a connection with almost everyone you meet. Everyone knows someone who you know. For this reason, it is like everyone is family. People don't treat each other as strangers. Also, Israelis have a more real connection to the concept of living everyday as if it's your last. Because there are so many threats to the Israeli way of life...and because that lifestyle has to be fought for...people here appreciate things on a deeper level than most Americans. Israelis are tough but they are true.
Although I have extended my stay in Israel, I want you to know how much I am thinking of you guys at home. I dream of home every night. My heart is full with you. Right now I am living my bold and dashing adventure. I may not have a concrete plan or a plane ticket home, but I know that it is with you all where I belong and where I will return.
Life is really special. I love you.
With undying love for volleyball, 3 bushels of crabs, 10 gallons of lemonade, and homemade ice cream.
I respectfully remain,
J. Michael Hess Webber
Michael
