August 1, 2009 West Bank

August 1, 2009 West Bank

Well this morning the Big Beast of a Man Walid arranged a driver for me & I am leaving Deiheshe. I will travel to Tel Aviv via Jerusalem. Unfortunately Walid can not take me; no young men to the age of about 50 can cross into Israel or travel freely with in the West Bank. It is with great sadness that I leave Deheishe, I have grown so attached to the various butchers, bakers, & shopkeepers who will never let you walk by their shop without pulling you in for mint tea, or the thickest blackest small cup of coffee you could imagine. It is hard to believe that we can call these warm friendly people terrorists or the enemy. What is astounding is that even with all that they endure they are still so loving & gracious. I will certainly miss all of the volunteers friends that I have made, I feel as close to these people after only a few weeks than people I have know for years & years. I will miss them all immensely. Going through these intense experiences as we have all of us so far away from the comforts of our homes it has brought us as close as family, each with their uniquely charming idiosyncrasies and quirks. Most of all I will miss the children, there are really too many to name. That probably more than anything is what gives me hope for this place. These kids despite being born as prisoners are so incredibly positive friendly positive & optimistic. They really are so terrific, at times I wish that we were as gracious of people that these kids laugh so much and are so polite is a quality that still astounds me. I was walking the other day, & thought, I could live here. With no TV’s & believe me very spotty limited computer access they turn to each other & their relationships and bonds are unlike anything I have ever seen. My trip last year to Africa was difficult in a different sense, the families of Sierra Leone struggle for the absolute basics, water, sewage etc. Here ironically they also struggle with water however their water shortage is somewhat symbolic of their entire situation, it is not due to poverty & infrastructure problems as in Africa this is something that is done to these people on purpose, & that is what is really hard to understand. Do you imprison an entire race of people for the misguided actions of a few? For how long? If you throw hate at a situation it seems as though you only get hate in return. It is with immense guilt that I leave this place I still find it difficult to wrap my head around the fact that as a visitor I have more freedoms than the people born here. Peaceful loving people that want nothing more than what we take for granted everyday. I pray the Israeli’s are as generous and kind as these people have been so I can clearly see both sides. I am sure I will have a positive experience in Israel as well. I do not anticipate any problems crossing the checkpoints and although sad I am looking forward to having a shower. I really miss my wife & am looking forward to her joining me on the next part of this adventure

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