People seem to come and go in my life rather swiftly these days. Perhaps this has something to do, in part, with the mobile society of Bali in particular, and of Indonesia in general. There is a new resident in my apartment complex, for instance, who has befriended me; however she is here only until January, at which time she will be returning to her home in Australia. There are many others such as she who are merely passing through--foreigners on vacation, Indonesians from other islands who are here temporarily on a work permit and who will suddenly disappear, having returned to their homes for one reason or another.
But there is more to it than that. I have participated for some time in a language sharing site on the internet. People wanting to learn English (supposedly) will contact me. A brief conversation may ensue. 'Where are you from? How long have you been here? Can you teach me English?' And so on. And then I never hear from them again.
Weird.
I watched many people come and go in my wife's life. They would show up out of nowhere and they would seem to have swiftly become bosom friends. The relationship would burn brightly, like a fire kindled from dry, especially flammable tinder, and then suddenly die, leaving no glowing coals, no residue other than lukewarm ash.
Are these relationships less than genuine from the beginning? This is what I wonder about the people who come and go in my own world. Was it all just basa-basi--chit-chat. Or do I myself very quickly lose my initial attractiveness? To know me is to be bored by me? Or have I done something offensive?
I don't know. It's a mystery.
Here now, gone tomorrow. Life seems composed of random chapters with no book to bind them.
But there is more to it than that. I have participated for some time in a language sharing site on the internet. People wanting to learn English (supposedly) will contact me. A brief conversation may ensue. 'Where are you from? How long have you been here? Can you teach me English?' And so on. And then I never hear from them again.
Weird.
I watched many people come and go in my wife's life. They would show up out of nowhere and they would seem to have swiftly become bosom friends. The relationship would burn brightly, like a fire kindled from dry, especially flammable tinder, and then suddenly die, leaving no glowing coals, no residue other than lukewarm ash.
Are these relationships less than genuine from the beginning? This is what I wonder about the people who come and go in my own world. Was it all just basa-basi--chit-chat. Or do I myself very quickly lose my initial attractiveness? To know me is to be bored by me? Or have I done something offensive?
I don't know. It's a mystery.
Here now, gone tomorrow. Life seems composed of random chapters with no book to bind them.
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