Three Apples: Cycles of Life, Circles of Sameness
a column for the Asbarez newspaper BY PAUL CHADERJIAN Once there were and there were not … You’re belted into seat 38C on Air New Zealand flight 2 from LAX to London Heathrow, and this 10-hour flight is only the second leg of a four-legged journey from Central California to the ancient monastery of Tatev in Southern Armenia. Hundreds of others are on the same Atlantic-crossing path as you, but three people you will meet on this journey will explain that your people’s experience is one part of a looping cycle. Some have traveled on your path hundreds of years ago. Others are on the same path as you now. While others will travel it hundreds of years later morphing and reincarnating to and from mindsets like nationalism, pragmatism, idealism, and globalism. Falling out of his seat in 38B is Jack, the first traveler you will meet. This New Zealand native of European descent is a physically massive probate court sheriff on his way to follow the 97th annual Tour de France. Th...