Is the news any worse now than it has been in the past? Has there always been this kind of war or poverty or hatred? Do all adults remember their childhood as a time not only of personal innocence but global innocence as well?
That can't be the case. I still remember the yellow ribbons fastened to trees as a symbol for the hopeful return of sixty-six strangers held captive during the Iran Hostage Crisis of the late seventies. And the day that John Hinckley Junior attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, I and the rest of my class sat at our desks unsure of why all of the teachers were acting so strangely; we just knew we were supposed to be quiet and act sad. I was a bit more cognizant of the tragedy of the space shuttle Challenger disaster and the deaths of the men and women on that mission. But these seemed such isolated events, occurring in a world that only tangentially affected my own.
But now, as an adult, the real world seems far more frightening than the one I imagined as a child, the one that kept every single part of me hidden underneath the covers to escape the detection of the creepy crawlie underneath my bed or the child-eating monster in the closet.
And I wonder how today's children view the world, whether they have imaginary monsters that populate the shadowy corners of their rooms. Or does the real world of George W. Bush and al Qaeda provide sufficient bogeyman fodder? Do they still see their surroundings as safe when, with 9/11 still fresh in their minds, something like 7/7 London happens. And before that fades from memory, the additional bombing attempts in London Thursday. All this with Darfur and North Korea occurring in the periphery.
And then, on Friday 62 more dead as a result of suicide bombers in the city of Sharm El-Sheik yesterday.
It's sad when the fear of a world of imagined monsters and child-eaters pales in comparison to those that exist in reality. And so tonight I'll try to sleep, out from under the covers, hoping that I'll soon hear from my sister, who also shared my childhood imaginary world and who, one and a half weeks ago, decided to travel to the resort city of Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.
Best wishes, Van.
Posted by: David | July 23, 2005 at 02:19 AM
Van, my heart and my thoughts are with you. Stay strong. If you need anything I'm only a phone call away.
k
Posted by: ken | July 23, 2005 at 06:04 AM
Turns out she's ok. I got this at 11:30.
hi guys,
i'm fine. i found out at 6:30 this morning about the sharm bombings. i was in a taxi on the way to the west bank and the valley of the kings. i'll be on a sleeper train tonight leaving at 9:30pm from luxor to cairo. from there i'll leave ramses station in cairo and have a taxi take me to my hotel for the evening. so monday night, i'll be in the oberoi mena house in giza.
i'll be careful and i'll try to email as much as i can.
love you.
virna
Posted by: V | July 23, 2005 at 11:30 AM
Van. I hope your okay.
Tis post is so strange, not the content or the wording, but the thoughts. Today, I had the EXACT SAME thought, how do children of today see the world in terms of a fear? It's a strange, yet so concerning thought.
I don't live too near London, but I am beginning to feel so unsafe here, as a 'mini-adult'.
Take Care, and so glad you sister is safe. Regards, Guy.
Posted by: ThatGuy2 | July 23, 2005 at 04:00 PM
OMG. You must have been soooo afraid! I'm glad that she was able to contact you with that info! My god....I can't even imagine what must have been going through your mind....I'll pray that she returns safe back on US soil....Hope you're doing ok Van!
Posted by: Roy | July 23, 2005 at 08:27 PM
When I was a kid in the '60's we used to have to "duck and cover" under our desks to practice for a nuclear attack. Somehow, though, I think kids today have a lot more scary stuff thrown at them because the media is so invasive and instant.
Posted by: sangroncito | July 24, 2005 at 12:48 AM
Glad to hear your sister's safe...I can only imagine the anxiety you must have gone through.
Posted by: outofctrl | July 24, 2005 at 03:21 AM
I'm so glad your sister is okay! Sorry you had to go through this. You're so right, the world is so scary now. I grew up in The Netherlands, and always felt safe. No I live in the States and of course it's not so safe anymore, but I won't let fear affect my way of living. I am scared for my friends and family back home, because after Bali (Australian pub attacked) Madrid and London, there are kind of two more Bush allied left to be attacked: Italy and The Netherlands. There is so little we can do... Why is Bush not sending troups to Darfur for "Operation Sudan Freedom"??? Oh, right, no oil in Darfur...
Posted by: Dutchimport | July 25, 2005 at 02:53 PM