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If you listen carefully you can hear some Hebrew words in almost every big city in the world. That what happened to me in the 14 of December 2003 when i was in Amsterdam and saw hundreds of Kurds dancing slowly but happily to the sounds of their monotone music. I heard some Hebrew words near me and asked the woman what happened. She told me that Saddam Husein was captured by the Americans. It all came to my mind yesterday when i noticed that i still have the gas masks from the Gulf war at 1991.I shall keep them to remind me that some of our greatest fears have sometimes an expiry date.
That is a good philosophy, Yael.
ReplyDeleteThis week was the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the Gulf War and I was looking at the photos of my family sitting in the sealed room, wearing those awful gas masks. Back then I said that if I can make it through a month and a half of Scud missiles shaking our windows, all my troubles after that would seem small in comparison.
Shabbat shalom.
And yeah, I'll bet those Kurds in Amsterdam were happy.
ReplyDeleteShabat Shalom Dina, We sealed the rooms with plastic and wet rugs soaking with baking soda, if it was not so sad it was very funny.
ReplyDeleteBut the shelves are always re-stocked with fresh ones...
ReplyDeleteThat's why i wrote it, my shelfs are so full,i wanted to remind my self.
DeleteThat is a nice thought.
ReplyDeleteI believe in it.
DeleteI don't see the gas masks on your shelf. Perhaps on the top shelf. I do see two lovely crocheted baskets. I particularly like the smaller, with the tulips around the edge.
ReplyDeleteThose boxes on the top Joanne , inside, and we are aloud to open them only at war time .but i believe they expired too.I also like those small baskets, i think they are from China like most of the stuf in our shops.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful philosophy and very true! I shall remember it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you like it Jennifer, i hope you are ok in the storm you are having now.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of 'greatest fears have an expiring date'. Sometimes (not always) one finds out that the imagination of these fears is worse than the event when 'it' happens.
ReplyDeleteIs it expyery or expiering date? i hope i was not wrong with that.You did understood me Britta, thank you.
DeleteI like your philosophy, Yael - I wish all bad things had an expiring date.
ReplyDeleteThe books on your bookshelf made me realize that, beside you knowing how to read and write in English, you also know how to read and write Hebrew with Hebrew alphabet. Greetings Maria x
Some of the books are written by Italian writers that i like so much, one of them is Nataia Ginzburg, also Elsa morante.
DeleteElsa Morante, "La Storia" - "History" I think is the English title, don't know if it has a similar title in Hebrew - is still one of my favourite books. Both authors were excellent writers. Have you read any of Primo Levi's books? Greetings Maria x
DeleteElsa Morante, "La Storia" - "History" I think is the English title, don't know if it has a similar title in Hebrew - is still one of my favourite books. Both authors were excellent writers. Have you read any of Primo Levi's books? Greetings Maria x
DeleteI have some of his books also here,Maria,"conversazioni e interviste",If you can find Natalia Ginzburg "lessico famigliare" i think you will like it.
DeleteThank you Yael, I will look out for that book X
DeleteI cant get my head around that philosophy because it doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteIt is ok Rachel,every one looks differently upone things and that is ok.
ReplyDeleteLiving through it over and over gives one a better understanding and a clearer appreciation.
ReplyDeleteYes you are right.
DeleteI am sure that was a terrifying time for you and yours. I wish I could look at life's problems the way you do. Of course there is fear and then there is existential angst. I don't think the latter has an expiration date.
ReplyDeleteMy children were young at that time and i was so afraid, latter we had other things to worry about.You are right about the "angst" that is built in and does not expire.
ReplyDeleteI think that is what was on my mind, and also what Tom said, they are always replaced by others.
DeleteYour philosophy is inspiring Yael. I have never lived through such fears and find the concept of war very difficult to think about. Undoubtedly you are stronger for the experience and keeping the gas masks surely will keep that strength up. May you never have the need to use gas masks [not expired ones] ever again.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they have an expiry date? Is it because the materials therein would no longer work.
Now i remember that we did use them when ever there was an alarm, and there were some, we all set to gether in a seald room that was not realy seald and if there was a real gas attack i would not be writing those lines now...
DeleteThat capturing of Saddam was probably the start of all our current troubles. If only they'd known!
ReplyDeleteYou are right Cro, i was thinking about it while writing the post.
ReplyDeleteThoughtful piece, Yael. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIsraeli gas masks are a popular item with survivalists here. One reason is that they are relatively inexpensive. The other is that most surplus gas masks are made for military age males. But Israeli gas masks can be obtained in sizes for females and children as well. I usually buy unexpired filter cartridges for any gas mask I get, but the mask itself is usually in operating order as is.
ReplyDeleteThank you Harry and thank you Bea. I am not here most of the time, have to sort some problems, i shall come back soon.
ReplyDeleteHope everything is ok Yael. Come back as quickly as you can, I surely enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you Harry,things will be better soon.I visit your blog but not commenting every time, i find it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn Russia when nuclear submarines and other nuclear weapons reached their expiry date they went to the bottom of the sea somewhere up in Siberia. I expect other countries are not that much different. Sea creatures are dying all over the world from that and other manmade causes. What's their expiry date I wonder.
ReplyDelete