Siddhartha Comes to America Rough Draft

As I sat and stared out of the window of my house I thought about my good friend Siddhartha. Siddhartha is a very hard person to please and he is also a very intelligent human being. I had to come up with at least a couple special places that I could take him so that he can get taste of what it’s like to live in America.

                I picked Siddhartha up from his plane ride and he had a very displeased look on his face. I figured the loud noise of the airplane and stimulating environment of the airport were overwhelming him. I told Siddhartha to make sure to get a good night sleep because I know that he will enjoy what’s in store for tomorrow.

                I woke Siddhartha up fairly early in the morning to get ready to go. As he strolled out of the room he asked, “Where are we going today?”

I replied, “Were going to take a hike in the woods.”

“Sounds good.” Siddhartha stated as he took a seat in the kitchen.

                We quickly packed and got dressed and soon enough we started our venture into the woods. I walked slowly through the woods so that Siddhartha could take in all the beauty of the surrounding nature. I choose to take him in the morning because the morning is the most peaceful time, the birds are out, the air is still, and the air is fresh. The destination in the woods I have planned is was one of my favorite childhood spots. As a kid I would always come to the stream in the back of my woods and enjoy my surroundings. I know for a fact that Siddhartha will like the stream, because he is a ferryman and he has a lot of respect and love for the river.

                We approached the bank of the stream and stood looking across the stream and the sun peeked through the tress and as the air started to warm. It was most definitely a scene that would stick in your mind for the rest of your life. Siddhartha sat immediately near the edge of the stream and began meditating. I let him do his thing as I wander a little further into the woods.

                After about two hours I was ready to go, so I approached Siddhartha and asked him, “Are you ready to get going back?”

Siddhartha did not answer.

“Excuse me…”

“I’ll meet you back when I’m finished, you can go without me.” Said Siddhartha.

This actually made me feel happy because I knew that Siddhartha was enjoying himself and he was engaged in what he was doing.

                “You better prepare yourself today Siddhartha.” I said in a joking manner. “Today will not be like yesterday…At all.”

“What do you mean?” Siddhartha said.

“You’ll see when we get there.” I Said.

                We got in the car and we began our drive. Today I am planning on bringing Siddhartha to Times Square in the middle of New York City. Siddhartha will be so overwhelmed here that he won’t even be able to formulate a though in his head. The goal is not to hurt or confuse him, but rather give him a taste of the American culture. I am actually expecting him to slightly enjoy it because he grew up in a city/town area and I bet that he still reminisces about it every now and then.

                As we drove around the massive city I could see the Siddhartha with eyes wide open and a bewildered look on his face. We found a lot to park in and we walked on foot to Times Square. The lights, the sounds, the commotion are too much for most people.

“This is Times Square one of the most popular attractions in America, and one of the busiest places in the world.” I said to Siddhartha as I stood in front of the billboards and the flashing lights.

“I can’t believe this place!” Siddhartha said. “I can barely breathe with all these fumes in the air, I can barely hear myself think with all of this sound, and I feel dizzy because of all these lights!”

“I want to leave this place now” Said Siddhartha.

“I figured you wouldn’t like it too much here.” I said as I began to laugh.

                On the car ride home Siddhartha was quiet, it seemed like the city had an impact on him.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“The city just reminded me of my childhood when I used hang around the city with my good friend Govinda.” Siddhartha sadly stated. “It’s just kind of sad to look back and see how far I have moved away from where I started.”

“Well I’m glad it had an impact on you though.” I said with reassurance.

                It was Siddhartha’s final day in America and I had to bring him back to the airport so he could go back to India. I was sad to see him go, and he was sad to leave.

                “I hope you enjoyed yourself Siddhartha.” I exclaimed.

“I truly did.” He said. “I learned a vast amount about America and the American culture, but I also learned a lot about myself and who I am as a person. To me this was a very enjoyable and successful trip, and has helped my progress towards becoming enlightened. Thank you very much, friend.”