Friday, October 2, 2015

déjà vu

I'd meant to continue with the #eurotrip adventures, but current affairs have stopped me in my tracks.
{Amsterdam}
Two days ago, I learned yet another classmate of mine had passed away. She committed suicide. She left behind a young daughter and numerous loved ones; depression as well. There are nearly a dozen men and women I graduated high school with who are no longer living. And I graduated with 95.

The following day, yesterday, I received a news alert I wasn't immediately startled by. President Obama condemned how "routine" mass shootings have become. Indeed, 2015 has been the worst year for such horrors in the United StatesAmerica has six times as many firearm homicides as Canada, and 15 times as many as Germany; and despite repetitive arguments, armed civilians do not stop them from happening. I encourage you to watch the President's statement below. He's angry and frustrated, too.

This past weekend, I finished Secret Son, a hauntingly beautiful read by Laila Lalami (thank you, Little Free Library). It has an engaging albeit fictional storyline, but I was most interested in how it reflected "the desperation that grips ordinary lives in a world divided by class, politics, and religion"--very much a characteristic of the modern condition in Morocco... and everywhere else.

Our reality weighs heavily on my heart. My childhood friend recently had a baby boy, and my excitement to meet him is stained by guilt at the world he has so innocently entered. I worry we've become too disconnected, too numb, too untrusting. In that "debate" I mentioned having at a cozy bar in Amsterdam, Lorelei and I tried to explain the individualism at the core of American identity; how it's responsible, as we believe, for our economic success, revolutionary inventions, powerful global standing, and increasingly unacceptable social ills. "Our thoughts and prayers are not enough," President Obama declared; I'm afraid mere kindness isn't either.

2 comments:

  1. your awesome friend AnnaOctober 5, 2015 at 5:23 PM

    Glad you are blogging again! I missed your words.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My awesome friend Anna! So kind of you to comment. I miss YOU.

      Delete

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