Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Owl

You and I know the owl as a wise, knowledgeable creature that other creatures go to when seeking advise or knowledge on a subject. When someone compares you to an owl, it is usually a compliment.


Here, however, owls are thought to be the dumbest and least intelligent of all animals, because owls do not know to sleep at night and be awake during the day like all other animals. If someone compares you to an owl here, it is a huge insult. When buying fruit in the market, if the fruit vendor tells you an outrageous price, the response is a saying that basically means, "do you think I look as stupid as an owl?!?"


My mom sent Corinth and I some craft supplies when we first arrived in South Asia. In the package was a felt owl for Corinth and I to decorate. After we decorated it, we hung it up in our living room, where everyone could see it. Several local people who saw it said, "You know that the owl is a very stupid animal, yes?" We politely replied that yes, we knew, but that in our country the owl is thought to be very wise.


I say all of this because this is one thing that Kyle and I think about often. We are just like the owl. In America, we know how to do things well, efficiently, effectively, and with purpose. Here, however, we so often feel stupid because what we think is right is so far from being right, and we often do things that others think of as unintelligent. It's a reminder that, while we or our abilities have not changed, the way people perceive us, and the way we function in society, has changed. And that's okay.


I left the owl up for a long time, because it was okay with me if people thought the owl on my wall was stupid/unintelligent. I knew better. That is a smart, capable owl who is just in a new place! :-)

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