Thanks everyone for the messages over the past weeks. I know I haven’t been posting much these days, but Mor and I are well. The situation here is hard to put into words. Though there have been rocket sirens here in Tel Aviv – some during Skype calls with clients abroad, which is always interesting – for me they feel more like a surreal interruption than actually being in a war. I will admit that sometimes the reality that a rocket loaded with explosives is heading toward my apartment building, client site, or car does occasionally sneak into my consciousness. (Like two weeks ago when I had to get out of my car and lie face down in a park during a siren at a busy intersection while on the way home.) The most pressing thing for me is how much mental and physical energy the situation demands. Though it may not be the best approach, I find myself constantly reading and thinking about what’s going on. First thing I do in the morning, and last thing I do before going to bed has been to scan the web for news, or some opinion piece that can help make some sort of sense, or offer solutions for how things can be different – for the better of all – once this is finished. I don’t have any answers, but I do feel there is something different this time. Maybe it’s from reading too many stories biased in different directions, or maybe it’s some lingering naiveté. All I know is that big changes are afoot in the larger neighborhood, and despite the weight of coverage in the world media our little corner seems like just a blip compared to what’s going on in other places. It’s strange to me that this part of the world - stretching from Afghanistan through Iran, Iraq, Egypt, through to Algeria was the seat of learning, science, and religious tolerance for 500 years during the height of Islamic Golden Age. That time ended some 750 years ago, but perhaps the embers of that tradition are still burning somewhere in the minds of the humans scattered across these plains and mountains. Perhaps this ancient story can be used to shape the current transformations underway, perhaps not. But I would like a chance to see what the intelligence, ingenuity, and persistence that is so abundant on all sides of this conflict could do if put to service for something else than causing pain and misery.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:31:42 +0000
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