Tuesday turned into a day of deep reflection. We started with a short bus ride into Tel Aviv where we gathered at a park filled with palm trees and the sounds of small children enjoying a beautiful day on jungle gyms and swing sets. We were given a half hour to do whatever we wanted - writing, walking around, thinking, etc. I chose to take 10 minutes to sit under a tree for the beginning of the activity, partly because I was running on 3 hours of sleep and partly to take in the scenery.
I realized pretty quickly that I only take advantage of moments like these maybe 3-4 times a year and it's not nearly enough. For those of you have seen Ferris Bueller's Day off, you'll remember the closing line of the movie, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you might miss it." Amen Matthew Broderick. New Year's Resolution #1 - stop and smell the roses every once in a while.
I then moved on to watching the kids playing on the playground. They were so happy and full of joy. Someone commented to me that no matter what language kids are speaking, you can always tell from the sounds of their voices if they're happy. These kids were overjoyed with the day and made me think back to simpler times, when I was a kid. Time is of no consequence to kids because they think it's infinite. You leave when Mom says to leave, and you don't really think much about anything else. One of the most precious parts of this trip is that we all were given a 10 day respite from time. I have regularly forgotten the day, and time has little consequence here. We go to the next activity when the group leader tells us to, and we don't have any planning we need to do. In this way, we're able to recapture some of that youthful bliss that leaves us as the binds of time grow stronger.
After I took 15 minutes to write "Goodbye - Part 1" we went over to downtown Tel Aviv to visit the Army's communication wing. This visit was one of the more interesting as we saw how the army uses modern communication tools such as Twitter and Facebook to tell their side of the story. All of the work is done by soldiers who are 18-21 years old. These guys do a fantastic job for being so young and inexperienced, and they've come a long way in a few years. During the presentation, I couldn't help but think how much more effective they could be if they had the same tools and resources we have available to us in the private sector. The Consultant in me really wants to scope out a project to help them develop new tools and a more updated strategy to reach their target audience. Our firm (and many others) do this type of work all the time. Unfortunately, the army doesn't allow help from external sources (I asked). Best part about the headquarters we visited? They are located on Kaplan St!
The middle of the day was relatively unexceptional for Birthright standards. We were in Tel Aviv but really didn't get a chance to see much of the city. When I return to Israel, I will definitely take additional time to see Tel Aviv as it is the most modern and progressive city in Israel. We then took a bus down to the middle of the desert to a Bedouin Camp. We had a great meal in a giant tent where we all sat on the floor and ate fresh pita, hummus, rice, and salads. Afterwards, we got a presentation from a Bedouin man who spoke no English (everything was translated for us) and actually turned out to be hilarious.
Once the presentation concluded, we took a stroll out of the camp to see the stars in all their glory - no lights or skyscrapers to get in the way. We were blessed with a clear night, bright moon, and great weather. The leaders gave us 15 minutes of quiet to lie down with only our thoughts, the stars, and the moon to keep us company. First thought, I need to do this more often! No surprises there, right? After that, I took some time to take in the size and enormity of the universe. Our problems and struggles can't be that bad when so much space is out there, right?
I realized pretty quickly that I only take advantage of moments like these maybe 3-4 times a year and it's not nearly enough. For those of you have seen Ferris Bueller's Day off, you'll remember the closing line of the movie, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you might miss it." Amen Matthew Broderick. New Year's Resolution #1 - stop and smell the roses every once in a while.
I then moved on to watching the kids playing on the playground. They were so happy and full of joy. Someone commented to me that no matter what language kids are speaking, you can always tell from the sounds of their voices if they're happy. These kids were overjoyed with the day and made me think back to simpler times, when I was a kid. Time is of no consequence to kids because they think it's infinite. You leave when Mom says to leave, and you don't really think much about anything else. One of the most precious parts of this trip is that we all were given a 10 day respite from time. I have regularly forgotten the day, and time has little consequence here. We go to the next activity when the group leader tells us to, and we don't have any planning we need to do. In this way, we're able to recapture some of that youthful bliss that leaves us as the binds of time grow stronger.
After I took 15 minutes to write "Goodbye - Part 1" we went over to downtown Tel Aviv to visit the Army's communication wing. This visit was one of the more interesting as we saw how the army uses modern communication tools such as Twitter and Facebook to tell their side of the story. All of the work is done by soldiers who are 18-21 years old. These guys do a fantastic job for being so young and inexperienced, and they've come a long way in a few years. During the presentation, I couldn't help but think how much more effective they could be if they had the same tools and resources we have available to us in the private sector. The Consultant in me really wants to scope out a project to help them develop new tools and a more updated strategy to reach their target audience. Our firm (and many others) do this type of work all the time. Unfortunately, the army doesn't allow help from external sources (I asked). Best part about the headquarters we visited? They are located on Kaplan St!
The middle of the day was relatively unexceptional for Birthright standards. We were in Tel Aviv but really didn't get a chance to see much of the city. When I return to Israel, I will definitely take additional time to see Tel Aviv as it is the most modern and progressive city in Israel. We then took a bus down to the middle of the desert to a Bedouin Camp. We had a great meal in a giant tent where we all sat on the floor and ate fresh pita, hummus, rice, and salads. Afterwards, we got a presentation from a Bedouin man who spoke no English (everything was translated for us) and actually turned out to be hilarious.
Once the presentation concluded, we took a stroll out of the camp to see the stars in all their glory - no lights or skyscrapers to get in the way. We were blessed with a clear night, bright moon, and great weather. The leaders gave us 15 minutes of quiet to lie down with only our thoughts, the stars, and the moon to keep us company. First thought, I need to do this more often! No surprises there, right? After that, I took some time to take in the size and enormity of the universe. Our problems and struggles can't be that bad when so much space is out there, right?
Kaps
Song of the Day: Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - Move Somethin'
Song of the Day: Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek - Move Somethin'
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