― Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Like everyone else, I was glued to the TV and my iPad last night hoping for more information. Hoping for clarity, I guess. I had a hard time falling sleep, thinking hard about the families who had received the bad news that their family members would not be coming home from the concert or the restaurant. I thought of good and evil. I wondered about the nature of both.
― Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments With Truth
How many tyrants make a lifetime? What war will end all wars? When do we cease shaking a fist into the wind?
ReplyDeleteI imagine it only takes one. I fear there will never be a war that ends all wars. We must NEVER stop shaking our fist into the wind. Railing against injustice might be humankind's finest quality. What a terrible time this is.
DeleteI noticed in myself while watching the news and listening to the foreign correspondents on the radio and the shock and concern that was in everyone's voice, that I and maybe most of us have this feeling that France - Paris - is immune to this kind of terror. (although I realize that it's happened there before..but still) That I think because Paris is so beautiful, the people so elegant, the language so lyrical that nothing terrible could happen there.
ReplyDeleteBut no one is safe. Nothing is safe - anymore. Will it ever be again? I guess fanaticism has always existed in one form or another but it was never so close, never so visible. I'm thinking this morning of how it must feel, of course for those who lost someone last night or had a dear one injured, but for all the other Parisian's wondering whether it is safe or not to go out on the streets. To get a cup of coffee, to walk the dog - all the children who must stay in the house to play today..and tomorrow. How interrupted life is when violence strikes. And how long that feeling stays with one. So very sad for all of France.
John Gray over on "Going Gently" blog had a wonderful display of all the blue/white/red lighted tributes to France from around the world. Really quite wonderful to see that kind of solidarity.
Yes, these cities take on personalities and become bigger than life. Heartbreaking. Traumatic. But I trust the French to rise above this, like the good people in New York did. They must and they will. And I saw John Gray's tribute blog post. It is great.
DeleteMy dear friend's daughter was in Paris for work and when I heard the news, my thoughts immediately feared the worst. I knew she would be out and about and possibly be at a concert. It was with relief that I heard from her mom this morning that she was ok. She was locked out of her hotel but was able to stay with a friend at their apartment.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what and where will be next as these are fanatics and willing to die in order to cause havoc and horror. You quote from Gandhi was perfect.
So happy to hear she was safe. I am glad you liked the Gandhi quote. I found it comforting.
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