The Walk

Hisham was walking alone in the old streets of Baghdad. Admiring every single detail, from old houses and buildings to retail shops and groceries.

This time all seemed beautiful.

Hisham was seeing things as if he had never seen them before. Colors were more colored. Sounds were clearer and nicer. He was wondering where all of this was the day before.

Had he changed? No. Had the city changed? Not that quickly. But he could see.

On that day life wore its nicest dress. Hisham was a happy man in a beautiful city. A perfect combination. A dream.

Wandering from one place to another was something Hisham loved to do during that day. Baghdad hadn’t looked that nice for years. It was so peaceful. No one was talking to him and he felt like not talking to anyone as well. He was enjoying the moment.

A basket of oranges appeared to him at a distance. The color was so attractive that he had to cross the road and go straight toward it. He wasn’t hungry. It was just the perfect color that called him. Once he was near the small fruit market, Hisham walked toward the oranges and picked up one. He was holding it using both his hands. It was so close to his eyes that people could think he was crazy. But he wasn’t. He was looking at the orange and wondering how he could have never realized how beautiful it was. How he could have never appreciated life for its smallest details.

He was wondering.

Suddenly … BANG … in a matter of a second …

Huge explosion in the small Baghdad fruit market. Black smoke covered the whole area. Not a single person could have survived the blast. Men, women and children. All were laying around dead. The sound of the explosion was extremely loud.

A catastrophe.

Hisham was still standing there with his orange. Dead bodies all around him. Yes. He wasn’t among them. He was confused. How could the blast have not killed him? Or at least throw him away and cause him injuries? Total confusion.

Then. He realized.

Hisham was killed the day before in another Baghdad explosion two blocks away. He just wanted to take a last walk around the city he loved so much.

Everything had seemed so beautiful.

Like A Dream

Life will always miss some flavor.

Whether some salt, sugar or pepper. You name it.

I once mentioned life being like a box of chocolate. We never know what we’re going to get (When You Thought Forrest Was Dumb).

Well. It is. Sometimes it feels like someone, from up there, is dropping some salt, sugar or pepper. When we’re happy? Here you go. A drop of pepper to cut your happiness short. When you’re sad? Here you go. A drop of sugar to make it sweet.

Does it last? It depends on how much was dropped.

I once believed. And I still believe.

I believe that imperialism still exists. Great people have come around to defeat it. Some were able to shake it but eventually failed. A drop of pepper was dropped on them. Who dropped it? Imperialists. Those who like their tea very sweet.

Where are those people who believe that the fighting strategy should change? Where are those believers? Where are those visionaries?

I think they’re just a few left around.

I guess you started to know me by now. I don’t believe in violence. I don’t believe in multiple fronts. I believe in unity, in economics, in development, in long-term strategies. I believe in a critical path that should be set and worked upon.

Yes. I believe and still believe. But who am I? A dreamer with no actions. Yet.

Others dreamt and set the pace for others to believe and see. Martin Luther King was one of them. Let’s remember his words:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

I say:

“Believing and having dreams are free of charge. Why not pick them up from the shelves and use them. We never know where they will lead us. That’s the least we can do. Maybe those dreams will get so strong to a point where we rise up and scream. That’s when others will hear. That's when they will fear us. Maybe they will drop some pepper. Maybe it will come straight on us. Maybe not. But at least we would have tried.

Yes. It starts with a dream. And if we achieve?

It will be so beautiful that it will still feel like a dream.

Celebrations Are Over

I had a good birthday. Good for me. Five dinners, five cakes, five blows and five wishes.

One same wish repeated five times. Sigh.

I’m not going to tell you what it was. In case it comes true, I will definitely let you know. That’s a promise.

The bad part though? I definitely put on some weight. Again five dinners, five cakes and approximately twenty drinks are all able to give you some more shape. Maybe an extra three kilos that I will be working on losing in the coming few days or weeks. Yes I’m a Leo and I hear that we’re always picky about our weight. You know. How can a Leo not be good looking?

I felt this occasion brought some people closer to me and sometimes brought people closer to each other. Maybe that’s just a feeling. But just feeling it is a good feeling.

I hope friends and family will always be there for some moral support. New friends are always welcomed. Don’t worry, I still can find myself some spare time. But time is scarce and therefore expensive. Make sure you offer me some quality. If not, don’t bother. I’m not in search for dummies.

The birthday is over. Life continues. Until it decides otherwise.

I would like to share with you the fact that my last article “You Will Show Me Around” appeared on a very interesting website: http://www.1millionlovemessages.com/.

Check it out. There are some good stuff. It makes you realize that there is still some love spread around this world.

It’s Saturday and, as people say, should enjoy my weekend. I’m going to close this notebook and go throw myself somewhere under the sun.

Most probably I’ll be seeing the sunset. Is it what’s on the other end of sunrise?

No. There’s much more than that.

We’ll see …