Adapt

I have spent the last few weeks working with some guys from Bulgaria.  I’m not exactly an ambassador so this has been a lesson in patience for me.  They come from a country that works on what we call a polychronic time schedule, this means they don’t stick to timelines very well.  This is the exact opposite of me, I’m early for everything and I like to get down to business and get things done.  Having to learn how to work on a different type of “schedule” has been very new to me.  Add to that the fact that we barely understand each other and don’t know each other has made this what you might call an exciting opportunity for personal growth.  A couple days ago I had to teach a class to people who couldn’t understand what I was saying about weapons that I didn’t have.  It was a difficult task to say the least but we all got through it and learned a little something.  One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t just give up on something, sometimes you just have to figure out a way.  I feel like sometimes we give up on things too easily, we have gotten a little too relaxed in America.  I used to drive to the mailbox to get the mail and now I don’t think twice about spending twenty minutes walking to get food.  At home I wouldn’t have considered not driving to the store but the other night I walked about an hour to a restaurant and then another hour back.  It’s amazing what we can get used to, good and bad.