“let’s consult the moon”

It can be gratifying to live in a land so ruled by the sun and the moon.

It’s been a pressing need for me, for quite some time now, to live somewhere where being the best, most efficient little cog in the machine is not the ultimate goal. Even in Tucson, where the pace of life is significantly slower than most places in the western world, there is still this urgent need to do more, do better, in less time than ever before. We know: in the midst of the US’s current economic situation, we still are exposed to the media praise for companies that have raised their efficiency. Read this, “fewer people, more work.” We are a society of aspiring Super People. But, we’re not. We are still the same species that used to have one breadwinner per family, used to close our business doors one day per week, used to take siestas, used to, used to, used to. I’m not being a romantic and pretending that life was better then. I know better, every era has it’s blessings and it’s difficulties. And, as much as I aspire to fulfilling my own super powers, Super People Syndrome looks like this: heart disease, anxiety disorders, depression, obesity, cancer, how about “restless leg syndrome,” and I’m sure you can add a plethora of others. (My not-so humble opinion, of course.) But, is that really okay? To what end?

Here, in this land, we are in the midst of the holiest of months, the ninth month, Ramadan. Without going into a detailed explanation of it’s raison d’etre, it is a month that closely follows the phases of the moon. How beautiful is that? How in touch with the world we live? (“How noble in reason?”) But what strikes me most is that we just heard yesterday that Ramadan will end, and that Eid will start tomorrow. Today, it’s that no, not really, Eid preparation will start tomorrow, and Eid will start Friday. Tomorrow, we might hear something different. It’s all based on the special council set up to decide these things, based on moon phases. Even the most important holiday, with the seemly most clear-cut beginning and ending times, is not really real until it’s really real.

Prayer times change by minutes, by location, each day. It’s printed in the newspaper. Based on the sun. School prayer times are different, and that’s up to a different authority.

And that’s exactly how the rest of life is too, and from what I can tell, is the one thing you can absolutely count on. Change, the only constant. My long-standing motto. And here, it’s a way of life.

I’m getting my salary advance, but not really. But now, really, only later, and with my furniture alllowance, but okay, not yet, okay now it will, and now it should be before Eid, except if it isn’t. I’m getting a car at this time and this price. Except if I’m not. I have plenty of minutes on my phone, but where are they? But, it says I used them, but I didn’t use them. Fix it at this place, but we can’t, well, we can, come back after 8pm, but maybe not. You’ll have a week, no, by Friday, except for Eid, so by Monday, but Monday is that other thing, okay, so you won’t have any time at all to set up your classroom, just go in on the day the kids show up and ask the principal what you should do. And although the number one rule in classroom management is that you have an organized and ready room, and the number one thing that the schools want us to stress in classroom management, and how's that again..?!

Following me yet?

Just roll with it. Everyone else does. I should absolutely get the keys to my new apartment, except that I’m not, except that I am, but, but, but...maybe I should spend some time consulting that ol’ hunk o’ cheese in the sky. Unless it's really a man in the moon. Or should I be asking the sun after all ...

It can be frustrating to live in a land so ruled by the sun and the moon.

But, truthfully, it only rattles you if you’re still trying to earn your Super Person cape, or if you’re running low on cash. Shway shway, slow down, like water...

What else can I say? This is good.