If you wrote me and I haven’t answered, if you called me and the line was dead, if I promised to call, to zoom, to whatsapp, please understand – Bombs take time.
I forgot to cancel a doctor appointment, to hold a zoom meeting, and I don’t know what else, today. I was busy running up and down the stairs running from the rockets, the cluster bombs, and whatever falls from the sky. Sorry – today was one of the worst. And its not over.
I don’t know why it just hit me, but as I sat in the shelter at 3 in the morning I suddenly realized that the whole story isn’t about me. I may be in a life and death situation, but the whole story is about China, Russia, amd the U.S. and world domination. I’m just collateral damage. So if my house blows up, or I damage my knees for life on the stairs, it doesn’t matter.
Well, to me it does.
we’re in danger and we’re not important – 3.7.26 Read Post »
there’s a little problem with whitman, but here’s the video of my talk last week. Let me know what you think.
here lie – last weeks video – 3.5.26 Read Post »
After three sirens last night between 2 and 4 in the morning, the announcement came that businesses could open if they had an accessible shelter. To my mind, stunned from sleeplessness it meant that I could go to see the doctor I’ve been waiting for months for an appointment but I should really wait to cut my hair. So, fearing the complications of getting caught in a siren, I asked Ezi to join me at the doctor and got all gussied up (actually only lipstick and mascara) and we went. I figured 15 minutes to the hospital, 15 minutes at the efficient doctor and fifteen minutes home and back to the shelter.
But of course there was a siren and we had to go to the safe room for the all the doctors on the floor. This extended the time of the visit by a while but the good news and advice I got from the doctor made it worth it.
Because we wound up getting lunch ready at 3, we wound up rest for a nap at 4 but were interrupted by a siren. So the whatsup was appropriate
opening up – 3.5.26 Read Post »
There’s really nothing to do between the many rockets that are falling – After a few days of this, we’re a little practiced in this, and can race down to shelter without two much panic. But I finding it hard to read or to do anything consecutive. A good book would be wasted with all these interruptions. So I started fixing this website. It’s a long process because I made all kinds of mistakes along the way, and probably wasted too much money to make sure this is safe. And I see now I missed lots of mail i may never be able to recover.
However, what I have discovered is that the internet is an incredible patchwork of repetitious and conterproductive links, leads, dead ends, and dangerous monsters, and it has all been created by a billion teenagers who are trying to win something without letting others get in the way.
It is very edifying and appropriate to figure out these mazes, and I’m proud that I’ve made a little safe corner for you to read these little missives.
internet under fire – 3.4.26 Read Post »
Clearly I’ve lost my sense of what is important. After the morning rockets I decided we had to go food shopping. It took us a while to rest up after the run to the shower and the interrupted breakfast but we got out at 11, raced to the supermarket, and managed to get everything on the list, although I would have preferred going to the coffee store as well.
But as we drove into the driveway, the warning began to sound. And I stood there with my cart trying to decide what to do with the milk. Fortunately I woke up and we raced with our cart into the hall, left the groceries by the door upstairs, and raced down to the shelter.
What worries me is that there was a debate in my head to save the milk or my life.
And of all the links I’ve been sent, the one most important to me right now is about the chances of getting caught in the shower with a rocket alert.
Then there is the matter of etiquette. For example, with all the selection of broken and breaking chairs in the shelter, how can the comfortable ones be saved for the slow-moving octogenerians in our buildings? People coming in from the street are of course welcome, but must they be directed to the broken chairs? And who would do the directing?
What do we do with uneducated guests who are running away from rockets in our shelter? One neighbor educated three teenage boys who were ready to leave the shelter berfore the all clear warning because they heard so much Arabic in the crowd. She explained to them that these were residents of the building and would be no danger. I liked her kind explanation even though I entertained letting them leave. Well, I would have chosen a different etiquette…
Only occasionally do I dare dip into the political questions
what worries me – 3.3.26 Read Post »
I’m not good at playing complex games. And in my lifetime I’ve found myself in the middle of a game that had different rules than I understood at the beginning, that the strategy had to be planned, shared, ordered.
The first time, I was 12, at the beach with friends. I had a violet bathing suit that made me look – for the first time in my life – like I had some hope of becoming a woman – and I was feeling very powerful.
Next to our blanket I spotted four boys from school – 10th graders I think – playing Gin, and as a big winner at home, I wanted in. And I was pleased that they agreed to let me join the ongoing game.
But when I’d lost the first round I was told (they said reminded) that it was penny ante and I had to pay up 11 cents.
I will never forget the stress – I’ve never had a stronger will to overcome in my entire life. I realized the boys had accepted me into the game as a victim and not as a player and I was determined to preserve my honor. I focussed not only on the cards, but also on the signals they were sending each other, and I won my pennies back. Maybe 15 cents all together. With some measly excuse I went back to my blanket.
The boys never said hello to me again in the halls.
I rell this story because I recognized the sense of hubris I had when I won that first game, and I sense that over our heads there might be another game being played. Why is Iran bombing the British bases in Cyprus. Doesn’t it realize that Cyprus is in NATO, that Saudi Arabia has just been sold a wealth of weapons, that Dubai and Qatar are very bad enemies to have? Ah, but Iran has China…
playing chess with a pro -3.2.26 Read Post »
The residents of the heart of Tel Aviv are reacting in many ways to the bombing of this intensely populated area. The buildings are old and have no protection so are sleeping in the underground parking lots and subway stations. Some are visiting relatives or countries they’ve always wanted to see. Many are trying to help the many older residents who don’t know how to get to shelter even if they could remember where to go. There are holocaust survivors who are still in PTSD from the concentration camps, and children – including my grandchildren – who have already experienced rockets before in their lives. There are people my age who enjoy their old age by meeting their friends for coffee at the beach – but stay close to shelter now.
It’s not normal for anyone – Even my granddaughter is helping to clean up the remains of damaged buildinga.
And tonight is Purim.
habima envelope – 3.2.26 Read Post »
