Finding the Spirit of our County in a Foreign Land

Even though we have stayed in Thailand a few days beyond our original itinerary, and we have done and seen all of the things we set out to do and see, I find myself a little melancholy about leaving this place tomorrow. We had so many great experience in this land, which has such a different culture than we are used to. 

With the notable exception of an argument with at tuk tuk driver that I thought might actually come to blows, and a taxi driver that got impatient with us, the Thai people are absolutely wonderful, and we could learn a lot from their culture. Wherever we went, we were greeted with smiling faces and a hearty hello in Thai – even if we were just heading to 7-11 for a quick coffee drink or bottle of water. 

There are some things I wish I could take back to the West with me. Thailand is 85% Buddhist, with Islam being the second most common religion. For the most part it seems that Buddhists and Muslims live in harmony with each other. Neither group appears to criticize or condemn the other, nor do they appear to try to recruit anyone to their native religion. Instead they live together in a state of mutual respect – the one faith respecting an honoring the beliefs and traditions of the other. I saw no fear of Islam in Thailand like there is in the United States, they are simply fellow Thai citizens. If there is tension between the two faiths, it is well hidden, because we didn’t see it in our travels. The area in which we stayed had a very large Muslim population, and it was common to see women in hijabs and Imams walking among the monks in robes. The Monks walked the streets along with Imams with no apparent hostility. Each was left to be who they were and were honored for it. 

My observation is that respect and honor are key tenets of the Thai people. We visited many Buddhist temples while we were here and were always welcomed, as long as we would dress properly and remove our shoes. In one case, we approached a temple where no other tourist was. We were unsure as to whether we should enter. A monk approached us – threw open the doors of the temple, smiled and bowed, his hands in prayer position at his heart and invited us in. Everywhere we went we were treated with great respect, and often in the same manner as that monk addressed us – smiling faces, bowing with their hands in prayer position at their hearts. This was not simply a meaningless gesture, but a true and warm greeting and acknowledgement of our presence. 

I found myself wanting to return the sentiment, and greet the people around me with an open, smiling face – which was always returned. I was never regarded with suspicion. Sometimes there was good natured amusement at my ignorance of local custom, but very rarely did I feel unwelcome. In contrast, often the people would go out of their way to be helpful when we were lost or confused. 

Often, I would go walking at night in the area around my hotel, where there are local markets and always people milling about. Never, while walking in the darkness, did I feel threatened by the diverse people in the streets and never was I regarded with fear or suspicion. I walked the streets, a safe and welcome foreigner in a strange and diverse land. 

I found myself aware of this contrast between Thailand and my experience in the United States, where people of different cultures, heritages and religious beliefs are often greeted with fear and suspicion, rather than warm respect. Our government is actively working to remove our diversity. We are working to ban Muslims from entering the United States, because a very small few of the over 1 billion of them are terrorists. We seem to be trying to impose the fundamentalist religious values of a comparative few on the entirety of the nation, rather than accepting and honoring the differences we have. 

On the base of the Statue of Liberty, there is a quote from the poem “The New Colussus” which is quoted below in it’s entirety:

“The New Colossus

 Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name 

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand 

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she 

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

I wonder if we can borrow from the Thai people their accepting nature, and their ability to honor each other regardless of the religion they practice or the places they come from. If we could do this, then we could once again be the great Nation that accepts the “wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” We could become a haven for people like the millions of refugees from Syria and greet them with same honor and respect that we greet all of our neighbors. What a great Nation we would be if we decided to choose hospitality and good-will over suspicion and fear! 

I hope that one day we can fully live up to the words in this poem and to the symbol of the Great Lady that stands, guard before our Nation, the Mother of Exiles – her torch of imprisoned lightening a beacon to the downtrodden in all lands.