"The fear thus entertained of alien visitors is often mutual. Entering a strange land the savage feels that he is treading enchanted ground, and he takes steps to guard against the demons that haunt it and the magical arts of its inhabitants."
I appreciated this quote as something anyone can take of entering a new or foreign situation. I have experienced that whenever you start a new job, meet a new group of people, travel to a new country, or even take on a challenging project, there is a kind of assimilation that takes place. Mixed feelings of curiosity, fear, nervousness, excitement, and even sometimes dread rush to your toes and you find your eyes sweeping in the environment. You attempt to soak up all the elements that begin to encompass your presence. Sights, smells, the nervous dry taste in your mouth that creeps up from your belly. These feelings coincide with one of my earliest memories. I was about 4 and I was on my way to the first day of gymnastics. My best friend was already a gymnast so I was excited to have a companion to latch onto, however, the feelings of nervousness overwhelmed me. I remembered I had to wear my swimsuit because I didn't have a proper leotard and knew the senior gymnasts would know of my impostor outfit. I timidly walked around the corner of the building that lead into the gym. I felt the scratchy blue carpet on my feet, smelled the lingering sweetness of chalk and sweat, and the sight of a dozen girls bending in half and turning back-flips in the air. After those first moments, I blocked out the rest of my first session. However, despite how scared I was, I soon grew accustom to the life of a gymnast and it became a passion of mine for a long time.
I appreciated this quote as something anyone can take of entering a new or foreign situation. I have experienced that whenever you start a new job, meet a new group of people, travel to a new country, or even take on a challenging project, there is a kind of assimilation that takes place. Mixed feelings of curiosity, fear, nervousness, excitement, and even sometimes dread rush to your toes and you find your eyes sweeping in the environment. You attempt to soak up all the elements that begin to encompass your presence. Sights, smells, the nervous dry taste in your mouth that creeps up from your belly. These feelings coincide with one of my earliest memories. I was about 4 and I was on my way to the first day of gymnastics. My best friend was already a gymnast so I was excited to have a companion to latch onto, however, the feelings of nervousness overwhelmed me. I remembered I had to wear my swimsuit because I didn't have a proper leotard and knew the senior gymnasts would know of my impostor outfit. I timidly walked around the corner of the building that lead into the gym. I felt the scratchy blue carpet on my feet, smelled the lingering sweetness of chalk and sweat, and the sight of a dozen girls bending in half and turning back-flips in the air. After those first moments, I blocked out the rest of my first session. However, despite how scared I was, I soon grew accustom to the life of a gymnast and it became a passion of mine for a long time.
This is a typical pattern seen of someone entering a new environment and I can only relate it back to mythology and all of the transformations and metamorphoses that gods, people, and creatures undergo. I can't even begin to count the number of men I have now read about that have been unknowingly turned into a bull and go through a state of shock when they see their new reflection in a passing stream. We are all going through changes throughout our life, and it takes time to adjust and readjust to the muddle that undoubtedly takes place.
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