Interesting Bedfellows

The last few days have been very interesting but not in the sort of way one would think. You would think that coming to the Holy Isle one would find open minds and arms, but I found instead a deep divide in spiritual thought. What should have been a glorious week has been a somewhat minor disappointment. I can only chalk it up as one of those humbling times and equate it to what Saint Columba must have felt.

The Iona Hostel was indeed a technology free zone, so much that when I attempted to use my laptop on the second day to work on photographs I was reprimanded in front of other people about a “strict” policy about no computers in the kitchen or seating area. I was very much taken aback and floored. I had thought from reading their website that is was a place where internet and cable television, or television at all, we void of which I was okay.

Perhaps what truly struck me as unreasonable was the fact that nowhere was it posted, either facility or web site, of this fact and when I was told I could sit on my bunk and use it in my dorm room. I promptly packed up my laptop and Jill and I ventured into town to find a new place to stay. Unfortunately we would have to wait two days before that would happen.

We made the arrangements and went back to the hostel to inform them we would be leaving two days early and would like our money for those days. Then they told us we would have to wait until they filled the beds, as they plan a week ahead, and that if they could not fill them we would not get one. We said fine and went to our rooms and sort of sat there wondering why there were no postings and why they had to reprimand me in front of other house guests. I personally felt they had misrepresented their hostel on their website and did not feel it was right; nor did our dorm mates.

What became a hassle was ironed out, or so we thought, and we were offered a day where we could use them. Things looked brighter until the evening when Jill was painting. She had begun a project and was sitting at a much smaller table, there were two including a rather large table, and when dinner time came around was told she needed to put her project up. Again this was done in front of everyone with much the same arrogant attitude as my situation. Now it wasn’t only laptops but our projects as well, even though we were at a smaller table that sat only four.

I can understand they may have needed to use the table, and I can understand them needing to tell us, but was it necessary to do it in a manner that belittled us? I can only chalk it up as a social difference.

What I do not understand is in a place so filled with other people from all over the world why some sort of discreetness cannot be adopted. It seems so silly to have gotten upset over but when we are here for our college doing projects and work; it is simply not conducive for us to not be able to work. I am very happy we are heading over to a Bed and Breakfast tomorrow where at least I will be able to process pictures and do some of my portfolio work.

The silver lining was our bunk mates. The diverse group of people we shared a room with would include persons from Holland, Australia, the United Kingdom and Scotland. Our individual personalities meshed together in a way that was both joyful and uplifting. In the end it will be them I remember, along with the beauty of Iona, and I will walk away with a new insight to these various places and the people who live there.

So in the end I am chalking it up as a lesson of humility, being on the Holy Isle, and moving forward while noting where I will stay at in the future. I will come back to Iona, I found my spirit on Dun I, but I will not be coming back to the Iona Hostel, instead I will locate a place that is much more conducive to what my needs are.