Into Danger

The world is actually a pretty small place.  We can fly around it in a weekend in any of a number of ways. While there are 7 Billion+ of us, there are remarkable similarities and what we hold in common is often more striking than what we consider to be our differences. In New York, London, Singapore, Sydney and Nairobi we are bound to find the same shops, foods and outlets in addition to similar working customs and more.

It's not surprising (to me anyway) that the search for the new places and cultures occupies such a large chunk of what we seek at times.  Lately, that means crossing into a 'dangerous' place - one that is populated with those that have very different beliefs, customs and standards.  Because there can be uneasiness about these differences, we often classify them as dangerous - and while I wouldn't suggest that South Sudan is as safe as Northern Canada - it's really the variation in values and our preconceived ideas that sets places apart.  South Sudan has no polar bears for example.

This weekend I'm venturing into a dangerous place, one that my country's travel advisories suggest I shouldn't under any circumstances go to.  I understand that - it falls into the same thought process that now requires us to label the package of peanuts with the "May contain Nuts" warning.  You don't want someone stumbling in unprepared.  But I believe that if we're careful, and respectful, and we have an open mind, it's these dangerous places that help us broaden our horizons and inform us about the greater mosaic that is the beauty of our species.  And yes there is violence there, but there's also violence throughout the world now, and the old way of looking at 'bad neighbourhoods' simply doesn't apply when it can happen in Paris, Brussels, Quebec City or New York.   Travel bans affect the innocents, not the determined. So into the valley I go.