Another thing I have learned by living in Kazakhstan is a healthy level of dependence on others. In the States, we are taught by society to fight for our independence from an early age. Most children move out of their home after graduating from high school or college. Most women feel that they should be able to do anything that they need on their own instead of asking for help and most men are scared to offer to help in order not to offend them.
Some things that Kazakhs find strange about Americans are:
- people wanting to live alone
- unmarried people living apart from family that lives in the same city
- women insisting on carrying their own things
- people needing alone time (introverts vs. extroverts)
- men not offering seats to women on public transportation
- people running errands or doing work on their own
- paychecks that belongs to the person that receives it, not the entire extended family
I have learned to depend on the people around me. This means being willing to ask for help and admit that I can't or don't want to do everything on my own. It means not holding so tightly to the concept of "mine". I have appreciated the chance to return back to what I feel is a more healthy balance between independence and dependence.
No comments:
Post a Comment