Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A dove for special events

In 1991, The President sent one of his brilliant assistants to Madrid on a special mission...

The assistant had one mission: to find the best Dove...

The President repeatedly reminded him of the historical importance of the event and the Dove must be the best because she will be the pure symbol of  the greatest achievement of the century. She will be remembered in History for the rest of her life... Remember, told him the president, choose carefully!!! Everybody will be watching...

The assistant arrived to Madrid...he had already done his homework prior to arriving to the Spanish Capital...

He had contacted his people in the country...and they suggested he starts his search for the Dove in the Big Park...

The assistant spent more than a month interviewing the Doves at the Big Park...

Remember, told him the president, choose carefully!!!

After days and nights of searching...he found the perfect Dove...

A young Dove, who has been nurtured by her family...who lived in the Park for centuries...she is friends with other birds from other places and likes to share her food with other species in the Park...All the animals loved her and saw in her the perfect symbol of peace and love...

The assistant congratulated her on her new job and gave her the first task...to find the freshest olive branch...

Miss Dove was happy and excited, this was her dream job...she spent around one month looking for the perfect olive tree...she traveled around every corner in the country till she found the olive tree and took what she needed...

The assistant told her she has to travel to the United States for the photo shooting session....

She traveled to NYC and she did whatever she had to do...

The camera loved her...they got the best out of her...

The photo symbol was ready...

The assistant went to see the president: Mr President mission accomplished...

You can call on all parties in the Middle East for peace talks in Madrid...The Dove is ready...

The Dove could not believe her eyes...to see all these belligerents sitting around the table...and there she was on all TVs and magazines, and newspapers and buses...The Peace Dove...

What else would she want...she was the happiest dove on earth...

 In Oslo...even though it was freezing...she stood there proud with the best green olive branch...

In the White House on that lawn...she was flying high and high and high...

Then, she was invited to Israel, they told her there is a peace rally and Mr Rabin would love to have you as a  guest of honor... She did not hesitate...She was ready to go to all the capitals to fly high in their skies to promote peace...After all She was the Dove of Peace...

That November night in Israel...she will never forget...she was flying high when she got shot...

They took care of her...but things were never the same for her...

They offered her the best Park in NYC...she went living there hoping that she might change things...

But...the world had changed...

From time to time, they called her in for duty...but deep down she knew that was fake...

The feeling was not there...she was unable to fly high...

She wanted to retire...

and a few weeks ago, the old assistant visited her...he was asked from the new president to convince her to attend the meeting on September 2nd in Washington...

It will mean alot to the new president said the loyal assistant... I know how you feel and I know what you went through...but there are still people who believe in you...

For the last time, get back to the sky, go around the world to find the olive tree...Do what ever it pleases you but be there beside the president on that day..

Or else everybody will lose faith...You are the Hope...You are the Dove of Peace...

You have been shot...you have been dumped...you have been laughed at...you have become old...

But people still believe in you...and they still hope for the best when they see you...

Go... do what you do best...go fly high...

But is she going to come back this time or disappear in the sky?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Middle Eastern Symbolism

Today... I entered to my office with my cup of Starbucks coffee in my left hand...

I sat on my chair...I looked to the right side of my table...up on the glass wall...you read...

"No place for Turkish products in this office"...

I looked back at the Starbucks coffee on my table and looked again to the sign on that wall...

Wow...that scene is so full of Middle Eastern Symbolism...

Every single person born in this part of the world or intentionally decided to live in this part of the world has identity issues...I stress and insist on EVERY SINGLE PERSON...

So, if you haven't understood till now...and you haven't been able to connect the stories together to understand the symbolism of the story than...You are not Middle Eastern and you are a NORMAL person and it means I have to explain it to you...

I refuse to buy Turkish products because I consider every single product made in Turkey is blended with Armenian blood...my ancestors...

If I believe in such actions (boycott) then automatically I should refuse to buy Starbucks that is known to contribute much of its revenues to the Israeli Army and to Israel in general... because Lebanon and Israel are at war and because Israel has been attacking the Lebanese soil for so long...Well bottom line we are
enemies...

So, why do I still drink Starbucks? is it because I feel I am more Armenian than Lebanese?

I refuse that kind of interpretation... I am a proud Lebanese...

So, is Turkey my enemy and not Israel?

I refuse that kind of interpretation... I know very well that Israel is my enemy...

Well...I am a normal middle eastern person living in harmony with her identity issues...like many others in this region...
 
I live in peace with the several components of my identity...

And, to end this story with an intelligent comment...

I don't eat Turkish food but I know that I need to make peace with my enemy...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Confession

Last night you came and sat next to me...

I did not mind... I was hoping for that...

Years have passed since we last sat together...

You asked if I was angry or upset...

I was not... I was dreaming of this moment for so long...

You asked why I was not talking to you...

What I had to say might have hurt you and made you go away again...maybe this time for ever...

You looked at me...your eyes wanted to hear my confession...

I love you... I am in love with you...since that night in that village and the feeling is not going away...

I can not describe the happiness that surrounds me when I am with you...

But you have to know that every second I spend with you...I 'd be wondering if you are feeling what I am feeling...if you are seeing in my eyes the desire...to touch you... to kiss you...

I can not control the desire but I am strong enough to control myself...

I can live with a fake relationship if the alternative is to live a life without you...

You see, you are not saying a word... I should have kept silent...

We could have had the most wonderful night out sitting on these chairs talking about nothing and everything, looking to the stars...and keeping our true feelings to our selves...

That smile on your face...I know what it means...

It is not the time yet..for you to disappear again...

Why are you holding my hand? i don't want to go now...

Don't hold me...don't look at me...don't smile...just stay...for the sunrise...

Don't go away now...

I will be here tomorrow...waiting...

Monday, August 16, 2010

I believe...

To be living in a country such as Lebanon...You should have a cause...

You can not be just an ordinary citizen...

It is like being an American...

If you are an American...it means you are a believer in the American dream...

You can not be just an American citizen...

It defeats the purpose...

The same applies to Lebanon...

If you are a Shiite living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the total destruction of the Zionist Entity...

If you are a Sunni living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the one and only Arabic Umma...

If you are a Christian living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the Christianity of the holy land...

If you are living in Lebanon...You are a rebel with a cause... ready for self destruction as long as the cause remains...