10 Stories Up

I found it today..that one place where you can go and "get away" from it all. It has taken awhile here, in fact, about 2 years. Those of you who have lived/traveled to another culture know what I am talking about. That place where you can go and reflect, where you don't feel like the tall, blond, foreign-speaking, wealthy woman amid those so different from yourself. Where you aren't constantly being stared at or listened to while you sit down and drink a cup of coffee...which happens to be fascinating if your skin is white. I hope this doesn't sound too cynical or ethnocentric, because I don't mean to be. I just mean that every once in awhile it is nice to not be the focus. There is another reason why it took me awhile to find that place here. Because it is brand new! It is a gorgeous new building that is 10 stories tall, which is the tallest building by far in our city (except I think the Saudi mosque minarets might be a little taller). You can ride an elevator to the top floor and in the mornings it is a coffee shop. Jeremy & I arrived there at around 9:30am and we were told that it wasn't quite open yet, just a few more minutes. So, I guess by "open in the mornings" I actually mean mid-morning by American standards.

There is a great view of the city, which we have never seen. When you live in the desert and there are no mountains or tall buildings, you aren't really sure what the actual city looks like. It was incredible to be able to see different parts of town...the presidential palace, the slums of basra all the way to the ocean and beyond town towards the open desert dunes. It was quiet too, with the hum of the usual city noises; car horns, merchants selling things, donkeys braying (ok, not all cities have that). There was even a balcony where the wind was gently blowing. It was calm, it was peaceful and it was deserted. There was no one there. It was refreshing. And there was new perspective gained. When I was looking at the city from high above, I saw how limited my perspective is when I am in the thick of things. Jeremy pointed to a section of town called "Marche Capital" where it is known to have the worst traffic; it didn't look so bad from 10 stories up. We saw a lot of trees around the city, granted, most of them around the embassies. The people down below scurried about their business...you know, they looked just like people from the top of the Hancock building in Chicago or the Empire State building in New York. Of course, physically they looked different but that isn't what I am talking about. I mean, they were all going about their lives, doing what needed to be done at that moment in time. Worried about their families, working at their jobs, talking to their friends; being human.

It is good to be reminded of humanity. It is good to be reminded to gain new perspective every once in while. It is refreshing to take time out and see things anew. The time looking out on the city from 10 stories up not only gave me some time to "get away" but also made me realize that inner refreshment doesn't need to be 10 stories up, it can be in a quiet place reflecting on the Lord. Do you ever forget that? Are you ever like me and go about your days doing "good" and being busy and forget about that needed inner refreshment? Does the little daily chores sometimes make you feel like you are drowning? Is there a place you can go "10 stories up" and gain new perspective? Believe me, it is well worth it.

Of course, we can't stay 10 stories up forever. I came back down, walked out the door and was again transformed into the tall, blond, white-skinned lady. The traffic looked bad again, the hawkers went to work on me with their merchandise, and it seemed like there was a lot of trash and sand again. However, with a new perspective and some inner peace, I am taking it in stride.
At least for today.