Back to a "Normal" Life!

It's now been nearly three months since we returned to the US.  They say that when missionaries return to their home countries it's common to go through culture shock all over again.  It's actually called re-entry shock.  After spending years getting used to the culture in which they served, a missionary returns to his home country and finds it's not the same place he left.  This results in an enormous amount of stress. 

It's not really any one big thing.  It is a huge accumulation of little ones.  Here's a sampling:

The first couple of times I walked into Wal-Mart to Christmas shop, I was so overwhelmed that I simply walked around the store for a while and left.  Wal-Mart arrived in Costa Rica shortly before we moved away, but it did not offer nearly the mind-boggling selection that it does in the US.

I went to a nearby grocery store, Tom Thumb, a couple of days after we got here to pick up some orange juice.  There were about 15 types of orange juice in two different places in the store, and it took me about 20 minutes to pick one.  When I got in, Martha asked me what had taken so long and I was a little embarrassed to say it took me all that time just to figure out what orange juice to buy.

Then there was the self check out at Kroger.  In Costa Rica you have to open a carton of ice cream before buying it to make sure someone hasn't scooped a chunk out of it and closed it back up.  Imagine what would happen if you had a self check out there!  It took several trips to Kroger to finally work up the courage to try it. When I did, I kept putting the groceries too close to the bags and messing it up, and a young lady had to come over and help me, but she was very patient and I got through it humbled but unscathed. 

My first couple of trips to the grocery store I kept handing my debit card to the cashier instead of running it through myself.  In Costa Rica, you hand the card to the cashier and they'll ask you for ID if you don't include it with the card.

There are times when you have to show your ID in the US, however.  Like when the police pull you over.  One evening I tried to make an illegal turn without realizing it.  Seeing what I was about to do, a policeman  turned on the flashing red and blue lights of his squad car to warn me away.  What did I do?  I ignored him and made the turn anyway.  I wasn't trying to flout the laws or defy the police.  It's because in Costa Rica the cops drive along with their lights on all the time and it doesn't mean anything.  I had forgotten that it does mean something here!  Well, after he pulled me I explained everything to him and he believed me when I showed him my Costa Rica license and he let me go.

And that's a another thing.  I'm not used to being believed.  In Costa Rica it's no big deal to lie.  Just something everyone does to save face, or make a little money, or play the system, so no one believes what anyone else says!  One evening I went to Kroger to return a can of Lifesavers that was missing a role when I bought it.  I was a little sheepish about taking them back because I thought sure the Kroger workers would think I was trying to get something for nothing.  Instead, they took my word for it, returned my money, and let me keep the can of Lifesavers minus one pack!  Then on my birthday I went to Denny's to get a free birthday breakfast Slam.  On the way, I realized that all I had was my Costa Rica license which I still hadn't changed over for a Texas license.  I was sure they'd ask for a second ID, and wished I had remembered my passport.  When I got there they didn't ask for any ID at all and took my word for it.  I even offered to show my ID, and they said not to worry about it.

It was nice to get a free meal, because Martha and I are working part-time at the church here and are still without full-time work.  The first time I ventured into job hunting, I started with the want ads in the local paper.  Just one problem.  They don't run want ads in the papers anymore.  There's a notice that says go to Monster.com.

These are just a few examples of how returning to my own country has been overwhelming, embarrassing, and stressful.  I won't even get into learning to use a smart phone!  

Still, it's good to be back in the USA.