The Grass Is Always Greener...

Yesterday, I was preparing for my classes when I jokingly told Malinda, one of the Chinese teachers, that I wanted her to come with me to the U.S. on my visit home. Yes, she spells her name with an "a", not an "e". I told her she would have a blast, that's it's a pretty crazy place, especially Vegas. She just stared down at her work and said something to the effect that she wished she could because her life is so boring. She, like countless other Taiwanese people, see the U.S. as a place of unending excitement and possibility. I, unintentionally, brought about a very emotion response from her. Her eyes began to well up with tears...ugh, I felt like an idiot. She is a sweet girl. I was a bit taken back by her response. I told her that we have a saying in English that goes something like the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Nobody has a perfect life and other folks always seem to have it better, when they, in fact, are probably just as miserable as everyone else. She agreed and explained as much as she would love to travel and live somewhere else, she couldn't imagine living very far from her family. She thinks I am a crazy person for living so far away from my family. I told her that I love my family as much as anyone else, I just choose to live a life that is a bit disconnected from the comforts of a close, insular family unit. This is not to say it's the right way to live, just the way I have chosen. The vast majority of the world never move more than a few miles from the rest of their family and that's fine. I know that, if necessary, I can always return home and my family will support me 100%. As it stands, my family knows that I am pursuing my dreams and they all thinks it's pretty groovy. Malinda is at a point where I have been in the past. She is facing some tough issues in her life. A few years back, I wrestled with the same feelings...it's not easy. She wants what she thinks would be a more substantive life, but can't fathom making a drastic change. Family life here is much more valued. Extended families living under the same roof is the norm. I think she is the kind of person that could really kick some butt if she would take the chance and do something bold. However, I doubt she will, pressure from her family will probably keep her from doing anything too adventurous. She is a dynamic young woman that has great potential, let's hope she has a chance to utilize it.