The Privilege of Routine
Every holiday season, we often find ourselves saying the same thing. "There is nowhere new to go." "We've seen everything already." "What else is left to do?" After almost fifteen years of living in Oman, I have said these words more times than I can count. Every long weekend becomes a hunt for a new destination, a new experience, a new memory. Last Eid break, we packed our bags and headed to Jebel Shams for a family picnic. Like every other family around us, we laughed, clicked photographs, admired the mountains, and complained about the heat while enjoying our break from routine. But it wasn't the mountain that stayed with me. It was a man. On our drive back, I noticed a construction worker sitting alone by the roadside, having his lunch. There was no tree above him. No shade from a building. No shelter...