Reverse Culture Shock?

Yesterday, someone asked me if I’ve been experiencing any culture shock being back in the States this summer. I told her the same thing I’ve been telling others who’ve asked me that: not really. For the most part, it has felt much more normal to be here this summer than last summer. I had expected that it might feel stranger this summer, given that we’ve been away longer.

Thinking about it some more last night, though, I realized that my answer wasn’t quite right. I have felt a bit strange, but I think I just hadn’t thought that it might be related to some sort of reverse culture shock (that’s the shock of coming back to the ‘home’ culture after having been away). I have been feeling very sluggish, for lack of a better way to put it. I have not had as much energy as usual. I have felt my motivation for doing much at all seeping away from me. I find myself just wanting to sit around and do nothing.

That’s sad, because I want to be contacting many of you, for example, to catch up and plan times to see folks. I also have work to do on the dissertation. I have tracked down a pile of books I couldn’t get over there, so I could look at them, but now that I have them. . .

I think, though, that realizing that this might be a kind of cultural fatigue (another term for culture shock, and one that more accurately reflects how I have been feeling) might help me to take steps so it doesn’t derail me completely.How can you help? I’m glad you asked. I can think of a couple things:

• pray for me to keep engaged in life
• be patient with me if I don’t respond quickly to emails and calls
• if you want to see us, it might be good to contact us because we may want to see you but not know your schedule or have the mental energy to plan occasions to see you (no offence, just reality)

These times of gap/nothing/waiting can be productive. Just witness my first year in Prague. I had no real defined role aside from being the househusband working on his dissertation. A lot happened that year anyway. I will be sharing more about that when I preach this coming Sunday at Upland Christian Church (July 24, 10:30 am or 6:30 pm at the corner of 15th and San Antonio in Upland, if any of you are around and interested).