When it is especially nasty outside (like today for example) and you do not want to step out and go to work.
Well, on days like this I am thinking about poor people many-many years ago when my granddad was young and people were under illusion that revolution and mass killing of half population of your country could solve social and economical problems fast.
I remember my granddad telling that story not to me but to other people as I was just a little kid but I had ears too and was listening though probably should not.
It was about people who were sent to Siberia in winter just because they had more 'stuff' than others.
And at that time word 'rich' was a dangerous one. They were thrown into cattle wagons without any warm clothing, food, anything that could help them to survive and sent for thousand miles into deep forests of Siberia, and left there to die or to survive if you can. And most amazing thing was that some of them managed to survive there - to build a shelter, to find food and eventually to return and to tell their amazing stories.
My granddad was lucky, he was not that 'rich' and he made sure that he never had any 'stuff' in his possession in future, that no one would envy him or wanted to take away his property. In a socialist country to have something that no one should posses (like two cows for example) was really dangerous. Through all my life I was thinking about those brave people who managed to survive in absolutely unsurvivable position, when authorities clearly wanted them to die and brought them to Siberia to die. Did they have their comfort zone at all. I know my parents did not. They were scared by system very good and never spoke their mind.
I was born when that madness was over. None of my close relatives were sent anywhere. Society became more open and tolerant, at least from outside. We still had dissidents. People still could not openly criticize authorizes or government.We still did not know what real freedom inside society meant. Our comfort zone was to have a job, a family, a good paycheck, friends. People who wanted more usually did not clearly understand what and how they could do that. When my husband wanted to go abroad, I did not. It was clearly outside my comfort zone.
It took me many years to understand what freedom means in Canada for example.
That no one is going to chaise me around here just because I am different.
That no one cares how good or bad I speak English.
That as long as I do not break any laws no one will come to arrest me (for what???).
Through years here my comfort zone has changed. I think a lot of fear left from it. it's a good thing.
Now I have to learn how to step out of it and accomplish something that I want, that I can, that I should. Because I am alive, free human being and I know I don't have to be afraid anymore. Life is too short.
Though I am still afraid to step out of my comfort zone, because no one is going to come and tell me what to do with my life. I must do it myself.
