My travels with Regina Rubino and Robert Louey are still young and I’ve been called upon to open my eyes and intellect to greater and more diverse experiences than I had ever imagined would be my journey. What I wasn’t expecting of a business trip however, was something more profound.
As most Americans, I’ve never been to China and had no idea what to expect. As much as I wanted to forgo outside influences, I’m a planner, so I took heed of all the warnings. Boarding the flight for Beijing, a sense of claustrophobia clouded my vision and with only a bit of rest on the plane, we landed at 6PM, a day later. Passing through a most efficient customs process, and just beyond the portals, we were greeted by the summer sun, still shining bright against a cerulean sky. It was the tail end of what had clearly been a glorious day, and the beginning of a paradigm shift of my perspective of the world.
From my first morning’s vision of the city, I was struck by it’s scale. Every element, every tile, every square of concrete, every building block was so much larger than I’ve ever seen. It’s grandeur effected my psyche, and I felt a little smaller in this larger than life world. In a sense though, it opened me up to welcome more into my spirit. It was, in fact, freeing.
Beijing is an ancient city that runs on adrenaline, and with only 4-5 hours of sleep, my energy was boundless. We settled in to meetings, and (to be sure) this was a very corporate experience replete with board rooms, translators, presentations, reviews, and resolutions. I segued from presentation and feedback to pre-press and production for the first time. Not only resolving sometimes complex issues, but communicating both via translators and osmosis…
Interspersed with this great vocational experience was also the opportunity for whirlwind drive by “visits” of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the disappearing Hutongs. These jaunts told a story of history meets progress, and tradition where time moves on. It was tantalizing but just out of reach for our busy schedule.
On the last day, Regina and Robert treated us to a visit of the Great Wall of China. If the rush of adventure and cultural expansion was the lead-up, the climax was “The Wall.” Perhaps the physical exertion of the climb was intoxicating, but I felt as though I was ascending towards heaven. I was overwhelmed by the history of each stone and every soldier that either placed it there, or tread upon it over the centuries. As we reached each tower and rested, it seemed to be a metaphor for the stages of life that we all pass through.
This trip forever altered my perspective. For the first time I began to understand what it means…that…we live on a planet. I connected the dots. It was a paradigm shift in my perception of the world that occurred in only 4-5 days. It was the opening of my eyes and mind, the awakening of my spirit & heart. It was my white lotus moment.
~ Janelle Toner
