Perspective
Perspective... we all need a dose of it now and then... more than we think.
I went to my friend's 50th birthday party tonight. Nice to get out of the house for a while. Nice to dress up in something other than "work clothes," "performance costumes," "workout clothes," or "hanging out at home doing homework clothes." I almost forgot what it was like to put on nice fancy clothes, some non-stage make-up, some real (rather than costume) jewelry, and spend time with adults who aren't talking about work or school.
I saw my other friend and her husband there. I haven't seen them for a bit over a year (since she sold her share of the restaurant where I perform... since the holidays right after that when we all walked Winterhaven to look at the lovely lights). She just became a citizen of the US not too long ago. We talked of her and her husbands business, children, and the family that is still in Baghdad. I asked how they were, almost fearing the answer. They are "surviving," as she said.
We hear all these stories, watch and read all this news, and think that we have access to all the information and that we know what is happening. We don't. To hear it from the perspective of someone who lives there, was born there and lives there, is not a soldier from another country, is not a member of the press, is not a member (or wannabe member) of the new government, is not a member of some insurrectionist group, is not a foreigner trying to help, but is just a "normal" person who is trying to live in their home town -- that is when you hear what maybe the most real story.
They are surviving. They have phones most of the time and so they can keep in touch with their family (my friends). They have electricity about 1 hour every 24 to 48 hours (and this is right in the city of Baghdad... this is not out in the country or in one of the more "dangerous" areas)... sometimes they have electricity for 2 hrs. Some nights, they don't sleep at all because of all the shooting and explosions. They go out only when they absolutely have to (fortunately my friend and her husband are able to send their family some food and supplies and most of it gets to them so far). The don't stay in only because of the shooting and explosions... they don't stay in because they are afraid of the soldiers either. They stay in because those who live there but have family living elsewhere are now in constant danger of being kidnapped and held for ransom. A friend of my friend recently had to come up with over $100,000.00 to pay for his brother's ransom so that his brother would not be killed. Another friend of my friend didn't have enough $$, couldn't get enough $$, and so his cousin was killed by the kidnappers because the ransom didn't' come. It is very dangerous there now, for everyone who is left. No one is safe.
The irony is that while everyone knew Saddam was bad, while he was in power those who lived there knew whether or not they were safe (my friends of course were not... that is why they are here in the US... they came her long before 9/11 to escape the danger that was there for them). But - you knew if you were in danger or not... and you knew in general what kind of danger you were in.... and some who were in danger could escape (like my friends... and like my other friend who is from Kuwait... who came here to care for his sister's children because she died from the chemicals that Saddam attacked the Kuwaities with). So yes... Saddam was a very bad man and many people were in grave danger, many people were persecuted, tortured, and killed when he was in power. Yes... it is a good thing that he is no longer in power. BUT - what we don't hear, what we are not told, what we may not understand, is that now that he is gone... EVERYONE there is in danger... and no one knows for sure where the danger will come from and when it will strike, so everyone is scared all the time. The media that we are privy too makes it seem like it is about whether one is Sunnis or Shia... but really, it is as much about whether or not there is a perception that someone in your family has money for which you might be ransomed.
We are so blessed and so sheltered here in so many ways... right down to the news that is provided for us. You have to work to find the other perspectives... we may be free... our press maybe free... we may, theoretically, have access to whatever information we want... but that information from all perspectives is not provided to us in an obvious way... even if we make an effort to listen to something other than the Morning and/or Evening news... even if we watch the Daily Show... even if we listen to NPR and read the New York Times... we need to dig deeper... with the freedom that we have comes a responsibility to find out what is really going one. With this freedom comes a responsibility to ASK QUESTIONS. It isn't as simple as "believe" or "don't believe" what you are told, what you read, what you see on teevee. You have to seek the knowledge out... and when you find it you have to ask more questions. The more opportunity you have, the more responsibility you have to take advantage of that opportunity. I think we forget that... I know I forget it sometimes.
I have no profound observations other than that... I just wanted to write it down so that I would not forget.
I went to my friend's 50th birthday party tonight. Nice to get out of the house for a while. Nice to dress up in something other than "work clothes," "performance costumes," "workout clothes," or "hanging out at home doing homework clothes." I almost forgot what it was like to put on nice fancy clothes, some non-stage make-up, some real (rather than costume) jewelry, and spend time with adults who aren't talking about work or school.
I saw my other friend and her husband there. I haven't seen them for a bit over a year (since she sold her share of the restaurant where I perform... since the holidays right after that when we all walked Winterhaven to look at the lovely lights). She just became a citizen of the US not too long ago. We talked of her and her husbands business, children, and the family that is still in Baghdad. I asked how they were, almost fearing the answer. They are "surviving," as she said.
We hear all these stories, watch and read all this news, and think that we have access to all the information and that we know what is happening. We don't. To hear it from the perspective of someone who lives there, was born there and lives there, is not a soldier from another country, is not a member of the press, is not a member (or wannabe member) of the new government, is not a member of some insurrectionist group, is not a foreigner trying to help, but is just a "normal" person who is trying to live in their home town -- that is when you hear what maybe the most real story.
They are surviving. They have phones most of the time and so they can keep in touch with their family (my friends). They have electricity about 1 hour every 24 to 48 hours (and this is right in the city of Baghdad... this is not out in the country or in one of the more "dangerous" areas)... sometimes they have electricity for 2 hrs. Some nights, they don't sleep at all because of all the shooting and explosions. They go out only when they absolutely have to (fortunately my friend and her husband are able to send their family some food and supplies and most of it gets to them so far). The don't stay in only because of the shooting and explosions... they don't stay in because they are afraid of the soldiers either. They stay in because those who live there but have family living elsewhere are now in constant danger of being kidnapped and held for ransom. A friend of my friend recently had to come up with over $100,000.00 to pay for his brother's ransom so that his brother would not be killed. Another friend of my friend didn't have enough $$, couldn't get enough $$, and so his cousin was killed by the kidnappers because the ransom didn't' come. It is very dangerous there now, for everyone who is left. No one is safe.
The irony is that while everyone knew Saddam was bad, while he was in power those who lived there knew whether or not they were safe (my friends of course were not... that is why they are here in the US... they came her long before 9/11 to escape the danger that was there for them). But - you knew if you were in danger or not... and you knew in general what kind of danger you were in.... and some who were in danger could escape (like my friends... and like my other friend who is from Kuwait... who came here to care for his sister's children because she died from the chemicals that Saddam attacked the Kuwaities with). So yes... Saddam was a very bad man and many people were in grave danger, many people were persecuted, tortured, and killed when he was in power. Yes... it is a good thing that he is no longer in power. BUT - what we don't hear, what we are not told, what we may not understand, is that now that he is gone... EVERYONE there is in danger... and no one knows for sure where the danger will come from and when it will strike, so everyone is scared all the time. The media that we are privy too makes it seem like it is about whether one is Sunnis or Shia... but really, it is as much about whether or not there is a perception that someone in your family has money for which you might be ransomed.
We are so blessed and so sheltered here in so many ways... right down to the news that is provided for us. You have to work to find the other perspectives... we may be free... our press maybe free... we may, theoretically, have access to whatever information we want... but that information from all perspectives is not provided to us in an obvious way... even if we make an effort to listen to something other than the Morning and/or Evening news... even if we watch the Daily Show... even if we listen to NPR and read the New York Times... we need to dig deeper... with the freedom that we have comes a responsibility to find out what is really going one. With this freedom comes a responsibility to ASK QUESTIONS. It isn't as simple as "believe" or "don't believe" what you are told, what you read, what you see on teevee. You have to seek the knowledge out... and when you find it you have to ask more questions. The more opportunity you have, the more responsibility you have to take advantage of that opportunity. I think we forget that... I know I forget it sometimes.
I have no profound observations other than that... I just wanted to write it down so that I would not forget.
posted by susan | 11:06 PM
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