February 21, 2003
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Hi everyone, happy Friday...
In the weeks that have passed since I wrote you last I'm sure there's been a lot happening in your lives. I've missed the correspondence and look forward to being in touch again on a regular basis and hearing about what's happening with you and your families.
I've been back from the States just over a week now and I'm still overwhelmed by many things. Most of all, though, by the kindness of our families. They thought of everything to make our time at home comfortable, easy, fun, productive, and meaningful. Tam and Brett handed over one of their cell phones (lifesaver), my Mom and Bunky didn't blink about letting us drive their cars all over town, my Dad came through with TurboTax so we could fill out our tax returns and be done with that task, and Leslie and Joel called many times with Denver reports and to put our little nephew, Cameron, on the line. These are just a few examples ... the list of thoughtful gestures is truly endless. Best of all, our families and friends embraced us in such a warm way -- wanting to know about our experiences, interested in our thoughts, sharing stories of their own. So I return to Jerusalem with a full, happy heart and a great appreciation for the family and friends in my life. For glimpses of our too-short time in the States, click here: https://millers18.tripod.com/recent.html
I must admit, the trip home left me with much to think about. Although we're looking ahead with excitement about our return to Los Angeles in June, I was a little jolted by how different I felt there during my three week visit. (This is where my Mom gets worried that I'm about to announce a permanent stay in Jerusalem, but no worries -- we're buying our return tickets next week and a long-term Israel address is not in our cards). Let's just say that I was given a gentle reminder of certain realities of life in a busy American city. There are the obvious ones, like driving. Well, more specifically, defensive driving. I guess one tends to forget the energy it takes to negotiate Southern California's freeways when the main source of transportation for 8 months has been two legs.
This is a good place to stop and say that I completely recognize that my life here does not at all resemble that of a typical Israeli citizen, and so any comparisons I make pertain only to my specific situation. The roads here are also stressful -- some would say even more so, I just don't happen to be driving this year.
Anyway, perhaps the most interesting observation/realization was that my life here is quiet. Quiet, you ask?? How can anyone describe life in the Middle East as quiet? The larger political "noise" is, of course, close to my ear, but my day-to-day life is much easier and quieter. I'm not fluent in Hebrew yet, for example, so I don't pick up a lot of what is happening around me. When I was back in the States, I immediately felt overwhelmed by all the incoming information. Even if I'm having a one-on-one conversation with someone and listening intently, I'm also involuntarily picking up bits and pieces of the other 10 conversations happening around me. I can read every single street sign and advertisement, understand all the commercials on TV, absorb virtually all the messages being sent my way -- consciously or subconsciously. Again, I realize that if I were an Israeli, or even more fluent in Hebrew, that the same kind of noise would surround me here. And if we were living here long-term, I certainly wouldn't choose to remain on the "outside" just to keep out the noise. For now, though, I treasure these days and months to live in this way. Now, if the larger political picture were only so serene...
You can imagine what's on everyone's minds here -- the war with Iraq, not much different from there. When is it going to happen? How much heads-up time will the US give Israel? Is Iraq poised to send missiles to Israel? Will Turkey allow US troops to deploy from their country into Northern Iraq? What kind of international relationships will America be left with if they decide to strike without support? The rhetorical questions are endless, as they usually are in such situations, but I imagine some will be answered soon. On a personal level, I don't feel directly threatened. Nor am I scared, per se. But from a broader, more global perspective I am. Excuse my pessimism, but at this point I don't see how these major tensions between East and West will be released. Ultimately, however, I believe in the good of humanity and just like I say about living here, amongst the ongoing tensions between Israel and her neighbors, I have hope and a belief that goodness will prevail.
I'll keep you posted on the view from this side of the world. And, if you're interested, you can see Mark's thoughts on the situation:
https://millers18.tripod.com/february.html
Well, I'm afraid I've taken up a lot of your time already. Perhaps next week I'll return to a couple of great experiences we had this week -- a visit to the Foreign Ministry and also a panel discussion with a rabbi, a priest, and a Muslim professor about when war is justified. If I've piqued your interest enough, though, you can check out the Foreign Ministry's website: http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp
All my best for much goodness of your own.
Love,
Rachel Ann
