More rambling…
I had a layover in Istanbul, Turkey, on my way to Odessa for Christmas Wish. It’s my first time in Turkey, and I was alone. Any time you go into a new country alone, you know you’re in for some surprises. My first came when I tried to go through immigration. They said I needed a visa. I had no idea Americans needed a visa for Turkey. However, this was not really a visa; it was more like an entrance fee. He sent me to the visa line where I paid 20 bucks for a sticker. Really? They should follow Nicaraguan protocol here and charge the fee at the immigration line. It would save time, and they would still get the cash.
I walked out looking for the hotel shuttle, and nothing came. As I waited by the curb, a young Turkish guy came up to a young woman and hugged her passionately. It’s amazing how much you can see from nonverbal communication. His embrace was warm, tender, and long. He hugged her in silence for about 30 seconds and kissed her on both sides of her face. You can tell he really loved her, and I had this strong feeling that he would do absolutely anything for her. I felt tears welling up in my eyes and turned away since I really did not want to start crying in public. I had not even seen any orphans yet! What’s happening to me? Must be old age? Soon, I will start crying at cartoon movies like Frozen. Oh, wait, I already do that too. It sucks growing old!!!
After waiting about 10 more minutes, I started wandering around when a guy came up and asked, “Shuttle?” I said yes, he took me to the spot, and asked for money. I gave him two bucks. I was there for less than 5 minutes when a taxi guy asked me if I wanted a ride to the hotel for 5 bucks, and I said ok. Once again, I was struck by the relativity of life’s struggles: 2 bucks and 5 bucks… no big deal to me, but very meaningful to many others. I felt sad, but luckily, no tears.
I got to the hotel and turned on the TV to a music video station. A video came on called “Story of my life” (I later found out it was a boy band called One Direction). In the video, photos of the band members as small children with their families fade into photos of them and their families today. There was one picture of a team member as a child with his parents and grandparents. As the picture fades into the present, his parents grow older, and his grandparents disappear, signifying they have passed away….yes, once again tears well up in my eyes. Will it ever stop!!! Why am I even talking about this??? What a loser!!!! I crashed shortly after that. I was beat from the 9-hour flight and all the crying.
