Hastily you go, without the burden of your belongings
For they are heavy and can hinder your escape
As the scene of this world is changing
There is no knowing where events may lead.
Your career and profession that you probably are proud of
May swiftly be gone in a blink of an eye
As society decays and establishments collapse
We will witness this old system die.
Travel light as you journey through this life’s uncertainties
For what is truly important is the air that you breathe
Material possessions are nothing but a mist
Relish them now for tomorrow may not be a gift.
There is a place and time where you can start anew
Where your vocation and dreams may still come true
Wherever you go, you will bring with you
Many happy memories and the love that you knew.
~ Anna Rocamora ~
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EFFUGIA (pronounced “eh-FOO-ja”) – Latin for escape or flight
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One day, I boarded a train from Alsace (al-SAZ) in France to Switzerland’s central railway station in the city of Basel. The transit station in Basel is Europe’s busiest international border station and has been in existence since the late 1800s.* I was enjoying the French countryside scenery when a tall and imposing man approached and asked for my ticket as proof that I paid for my ride, as is customary. As I realized that I was traveling through the same tracks that people from many decades ago trekked through, I couldn’t help but think of the Jews who escaped from France and other parts of Europe to get to this neutral Swiss country during World War II. I imagined the dread they must have felt as they tried to hide their identities to avoid getting caught. Had I been one of them, this man would’ve been a source of distress as he moved from one passenger to another. Thankfully, this wasn’t the 1940s.
I asked the man if he speaks English and he said “no, little only.” But when I asked him another question, he answered fluently in English, with accent of course. Among many Europeans, there is a sense of pride and nationalism just like here in America. It’s as simple as denying the fact that one can understand the English language and therefore may have a possibility of being under the influence of the Americans, which by the way is already obvious as I hear radio stations in Switzerland playing American music. There was also a man in Colmar, France playing the guitar on the sidewalk and singing his heart out some fine American songs.
However, in tourist destinations, if you have to pick a country’s flag to choose your preferred language in museum tours for example, you will not see the American flag. Instead, you will see the British flag. Americans are not a favored people in Europe. I know of some Americans who have to change and hide their American accents when in Europe. I don’t have that kind of problem as I don’t have an American accent. My Asian-Iberian heritage also enables me to blend in at many cosmopolitan cities in Europe that are populated with people from different countries. It also helps to have the skill to dress like the locals, so I am not sticking out like a sore thumb.
Sadly, even in a globalized culture, it is still apparent that there is prejudice among people of different nationalities. Although it may be “peace time” in many parts of the world, there are conflicts happening in other parts too. There are regional wars going on in various places and there is always the possibility of a third world war. As of this writing, Ukraine and Russia are still at war. More recently is the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
One day, it may happen where we live. No one is ever ready for such a tragic event where countless lives will be lost. If we must escape, how much baggage are we to take? Where will we go? Like those in war zones who fled for their lives, will we think of the homes and possessions we will leave behind? Or will our thoughts solely be focused on preserving our lives and how we will survive. Because the flight will not just be arduous but also dangerous. Of the images that we see online, one of the saddest things about all the mass exodus happening all over the world these days is that the migration of animals is way more dignified and safer than the migration of humans.
Surely, those people must have left behind homes, employments, cars, money, bank accounts and many other things that they had gotten accustomed to in their day to day lives. But alas, none of that matters now. All they had were the clothes on their backs and whatever little possessions they were able to carry perhaps in backpacks and small bags. Therefore, let us strive to live a balanced life free from attachment to material things, never-ending accumulation, relationships lacking substance, and high-career goals – a chasing after the wind. The flight is easier when the burden is light.
Related post: The Syrian Diaspora
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In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever. – Daniel 2:44
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away.
And the sea is no more.
I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God
and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say:
“Look! The tent of God is with mankind,
and he will reside with them,
and they will be his people.
And God himself will be with them.
And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes,
and death will be no more,
neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore
The former things have passed away.
And the One seated on the throne said:
“Look! I am making all things new.”
Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
– Revelation 21:1-5
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Meanwhile in Gaza….
11/21/2023
Apple News Top Stories: “Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day pause in fighting to allow for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the war will continue” even after a deal. Hamas said on Telegram that it had agreed to a “humanitarian truce,” thanking Qatar and Egypt for their efforts in helping to broker the deal. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/21/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-palestine/)
Obviously, this translates to: “After this truce, let’s continue fighting and killing each other.” (What do you think? Does this seem like the workings of people with sound mind? War is war but we know who is behind all of these.)
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*Wikipedia
Images credit: Anna Rocamora | Image of Syrians running away from the war zone originally appeared in: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/world/syria-refugee-crisis-when-war-displaces-half-a-country/index.html
Video credit: Imagine – Remastered 2010 (YouTube – johnlennon)
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This Writer's Delight 