Cambodia Street

I had a choice the other night: To The Lighthouse or The Death and Life of Dith Pran. Many people describe me as an indecisive person, and these choices represented two important facets of my life: my current passions and the obligation for continual exploration . On the one hand, I am an angkorphile, obsessed with everything Cambodia. But I do not always pine for the world of Southeast Asia. Perhaps, I thought, it's important to indulge other spheres, like the mystery of Virginia Woolf.
Last night I pondered whether I was becoming too engrossed with Cambodia. Surely I am stunting my other intellectual development by being too focused on one thing. But, I rationalized, everyone has to be an expert in something and maybe I'm becoming an expert in Cambodia. After all, my generation needs people who are concerned with up-and-coming Cambodia, a nation that will gain international prominence in the coming decades. Plus, when one has a passion they must seize every opportunity to pursue that passion. Such a pursuit can only provide joy and fulfillment for the person.
But what about the big, wide world?
Perhaps, if I read Jane Austen or Thomas Mann, I would become obsessed with these authors, read all of their work, and subsequently become an expert. Or, maybe if I spent some time watching film noir, that would set off a wave of enthusiasm for this particular aspect of cinema. Then, I would watch everything associated with film noir and, like Austen or Mann, and become an expert in this field.
Life is a series of streets. Most of these streets will never be pursued. Some are boring, some are pleasurable, and some are downright fascinating.
I wandered down Cambodia Street.  There was, among others, Picasso Street, England Street, Ballet Street, or Golf Street. But Cambodia Street lengthens as I walk down its center. The others are merely dead ends, while an intangible magnet that pulls me down Angkor's jungled avenue.
Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse would remain between the dusty guidebooks and encyclopedias.
I would spend the night with Dith Pran, making my way further down Cambodia Street.