Of course, if I was the real Captain Picard, there would be no question... I’d fly in to Turkey, lasers blazing, return everything back to normal, give a quick high five to Geordi and the gang, and then ponder the whole experience over a cup of Earl Grey tea.
But I’m not the real Picard (surprise!). I’m just a normal guy who booked a flight to Bali with a short stop over in Istanbul, Turkey. And now I'm worried.
Last night’s attempted coup in Istanbul in which unauthorized and armed military took over the airport just a few hours ago has me just a touch hesitant to board that plane. What would YOU do?
What’s more is I am from Canada. The likelihood of a military coup in Canada is about as likely as two Bitcoin devs agreeing on the correct size of a block.
While the Turks take to the streets by the millions and are willing to lay under tanks to enforce their political rights, Canadians’ idea of political solidarity is to huddle around televisions, watch hockey, and get drunk.
The event in Turkey makes me question the real motivations behind my planned trip to Bali. I’ve been traveling around Eastern Europe for several weeks and made a somewhat random decision to head to Asia for the next leg of my adventure.
I think what I am really looking for is what I call a “conscious community”, or at least glimmers of one.
Like many, I long for a place in which people are living in relative harmony, free of the greed and blinged out contentions of modern city life.
A place where people are thriving amid beauty and appreciate the healthiness of living more simply.
A place where I can count my Steem Power in peace and watch the blockchain revolution unfold from a hammock.
I’ve traveled extensively in my life and I must say that most previous searches for such a “conscious community” have come up short.
I am not naive enough to think that paradise exists outside of one's self, but nor am I jaded enough to believe that there isn't a better way to live if enough people try.
Bali has a reputation for attracting yogi-minded folks with positive attitudes and bright spirits. I am curious to see for myself just how deserving that reputation is. But is it worth the relative risk of flying into a freshly contested war zone?
With Turkey in turmoil, my dream is at risk.
I repeat, what would YOU do?