And so here we are.
Here we are. My friend said yesterday "chidd 7alak" (get a grip). The problem is that the war trauma went back to the surface with a vengeance. You can run from the war, but war catches you back. You can pretend normalcy as most of us do but the wound is still there. Some of us, nay, most of us, have no luxury to break down - we have responsibilities and lives to live and moral acts vis a vis people dependent on us. Of course, all this comes on the heels of the financial, political and economic breakdown since 2019, with covid on top, and all other factors compounding what is going on.
And still, we protect ourselves in the mundane, in the day to day, in the morning coffee, and in the cooking, and in the back-to-school related activities, and in the browsing, heck, in the shopping even (second hand, over the net, thrifting, no matter retail therapy can be a band-aid), in checking our daily horoscope, or whatever we do to pretend that our day is going to be cheerful - when obviously, already it is not.
A friend in Germany is displeased and having "mental issues" - I told him it was a good thing there was geographical distance between us, because honestly I was this close to hitting him. The Bavarian government provides him with anything he needs, including a house, a once-a-week main, stipend, counsellors to help him and what not. Seriously, the luxury some people have is truly unbeknown to them.
Sure, I am neither in the southern suburb of Beirut, or the south or any "hot points", but simply living in Lebanon at this point drives you to the abyss of exhaustion. If you have an ounce of conscience or empathy that is. Which, believe it or not, many people do not have - case in point a lot of people are rooting for Israel among the Lebanese.
I remember so long ago Sawt Loubnan would blast Maguy Farah's daily "hazzak el yawm" (your luck today) and its catchy jingle. So, where is astrologer Maguy Farah when you need her?