Natural Phenomona

Dear loyal readers, I am perched pleasantly on my outdoor lounge on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  This morning we were graced with 30 minutes of rainfall, bringing refreshing smells released from the earth following the unfamiliar presence of rain and the calming sound of falling water that we haven’t experienced here since April.  Now, the sun is out and the birds are chirping.  Led Zeppelin is singing in my ear, and if only the heavy construction equipment nearby would stop its relentless banging I would deem this to be an idyllic scene.

I don’t have much more than random observances of Natural Phenomena to share on this sunny Saturday afternoon, so just bear with me as I cleanse my brain through the power of blog.

Natural Phenomenon 1: Demand for Independence

For those of you who require a refresher, I moved to Ramallah in January of this year, just days before news of an Arab Spring started getting attention in the major media sources—very quickly, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Syria and other close neighbors were regularly getting headlines for the movements inside their countries calling for change.  We in the West Bank watched closely as the regimes in power resisted change and then some, eventually, succumbed to pressure and dealt with the consequences of change. 

A few months ago, headlines regarding actions to be taken by Palestinian leaders—specifically at the UN—began appearing more frequently.  Finally, this week, the Palestinian leadership made what it felt was the most prudent move toward establishing a truly independent state of Palestine.  Last night, thousands gathered Ramallah’s city center to watch President Abbas address the United Nations.  Their support for his bid for statehood—however futile or controversial it might be—was palpable.  Large posters adorned with images of Mr. Abbas and Yassar Arafat covered buildings and Palestinian flags appeared everywhere.  Last night, after Abbas’ speech to the UN, cars drove up and down the street blaring their horns and playing loud music. 

Flags, posters, and people--waiting for Abbas' September 23 speech to the UN

Stage for music and dance performances along with a large screen for viewing the speech

I don’t know where this will lead, but it has been fascinating to be in Palestine during this historic time.  And although I try to stay neutral and balanced—especially when writing a blog that is publicly available to anyone with internet access—it is very difficult for me to understand how anyone could make a rational argument to deny Palestinians independence and the land that they have called home for thousands of years.  Claims that the occupation is necessary for security reasons is completely against logic—the more walls that are built, the more land that is confiscated, the more military outposts that are established to protect settlements, the more humiliation that Palestinians need to endure…all of these things lead to insecurity, not security.  Greed, hubris, and a lack of humanity are the core problems here.  And Palestine’s call for independence after 63 years of occupation is only natural.

Natural Phenomenon 2: Brewers Win the Division

On a lighter note and on a subject where talking about ‘divisions’ does not carry the weight as in the topic above, I wanted to recognize the accomplishments of the Milwaukee Brewers.  Although I can best be described as an on-again, off-again fan, I have been rather captivated by the Brew Crew over the past few months.  I had an opportunity to see the Brewers in action while in Houston earlier this month when they handled the Astros in an efficient 8-2 victory.  Their inability to do more damage during a series with the Phillies a week later is cause for concern for the playoffs, but I still have hope that they can put together some good baseball in the post season.

It’s a good year to be a Wisconsin sports fan.  The Packers won the Super Bowl and have started this season with two wins.  The Badgers are 3-0 and although these wins have come against team they were expected to beat handily, the additional of Russell Wilson at quarterback appears to add a new dimension to an already powerful and balanced offense.  And now the Brewers clinch the division! Go Brew Crew!

Natural Phenomenon 3: SmallVictories

Speaking of sports, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my feats on the street hockey field yesterday.  (If you’ve already read the recap or seen the highlights on Sportscenter, please indulge me.)  Early on in our weekly street hockey match yesterday, I started very slowly.  I was having a hard time controlling the ball or even sometimes maintaining contact between my stick and ball.  Things were not looking good for our hero.  I subbed out at some point to catch my breath and get some water, and thought it might be prudent to try a different stick.  When I subbed back into the game, I found my rhythm and scored five goals.  My offense prowess was recognized by the other team, and my ego got a boost every time I heard the opposing players yell out to cover me if I was in the vicinity of the goal.  I will likely return to my pedestrian ways next week, but it felt nice for my natural street hockey abilities to assert themselves for one game.

Natural Phenomenon 4: Time Marches On

Although I’m no student of physics, I know that we are only aware of time moving in one steady direction.  Seconds add up to minutes; minutes collect to build hours; hours pile on one another, and so on and so forth.  Pretty soon, for each of us a lifetime is assembled.  We have good moments and bad moments—we experience pain and pleasure, laughter and tears (sometimes simultaneously).  We make new friends and lose contact with old friends; we learn important lessons and forget just as many.  We collect stories to share with our children and grandchildren, and do plenty of things we hope they never discover.  We help make the world a better place in some ways and help destroy it in other ways—on purpose, on accident, and just because that’s the way of the world. 

We create our legacies, which will matter for a limited number of people for a limited amount of time, but for those people and for that time, we might be the most significant thing in the universe.

Time marches on.  It is only natural.

 

Apropos of nothing, Steven Wright will provide the final though for this blog: “Life is short, but it’s the longest thing you’ll ever do.”