Transplanted

So this whole living-in-Atlanta thing has mostly been positive. I whole heartedly believe in getting the most out of life, including making big life changes that really challenge me. But that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy. At times I miss the comfort of having a small community of people I know. And I kinda get what Jim Morrison was saying with the line “People are strange when you’re a stranger.”  So I suppose that’s why I teared up when the instructor of a class I’m taking showed me some kindness last night.

First of all, the class is called “Islam Behind the Headlines” and it’s mostly a quick (five classes) overview of the Muslim religion compared to Judaism and Christianity. It’s taught by a Middle East scholar, Professor Gordon Newby who speaks Arabic fluently and I’m guessing Hebrew, too. He is considered an expert in his field and serves as the chair of Middle East studies at Emory University. So when I approached him last night with an idea of mine I was a little intimidated. But he couldn’t have been more helpful and encouraging. We talked at length about it and then compared notes about our experiences in Utah.

Maybe it was also the fact that he walked me to my car and seemed to genuinely care that I make it home safely, but I was genuinely touched. There is just something about the kindness of strangers (when you’re a stranger).