Selah.

[Mrs-M]

Thinking of you and the conflict. Hope you are staying safe.

[peggy]

Yes, our thoughts are with you.

[try2bfrugal]

I hope you are safe and well Selah.

[CathyA]

She's in Israel, right? Be safe Selah. It must be very scary over there right now.

[Selah]

Thanks, everyone! We are safe, at least relatively speaking. We live on the border with Lebanon, a few hours north of where all the fighting is. Many of my friends', coworkers' and students' sons, husbands or brothers have been called up into active duty and are in undisclosed locations, so people are generally more stressed about the safety of their loved ones than of themselves personally. It's a miserable crapstorm; fear and suffering both in Israel and in Gaza, and everyone is distracted and tense, but trying to make the best of it.

As we live right on the Mediterranean, we have been seeing plenty of military ships and aircraft fighters all over the place, and we noticed a big buildup of tanks and materiel around the border in the weeks before this all started. However, that might have been in response to the ruckus caused by Syria's fighting spilling over into the Golan Heights, which is relatively near to us, or just normal exercises.

We are pretty jumpy when it comes to loud sudden noises, but no one's really been altering their lives here too much--other than paying very close attention to the news. Everyone's still working, shopping, and going out, although the mood is a bit subdued, generally. My friends and colleagues down south, of course, are in an entirely different situation: the teachers that I know, in particular, are really having a tough time because the children are stressed, attendance is disrupted, schools open and close, sirens keep going off, and yet still they have to maintain the usual standards of educational bureaucracy.

The online and televised hating and invective still is getting flung around with high intensity from any and all corners. Everyone is blaming each other and no one is taking responsibility for anything, and as such is covering us all in knee-deep layers of negativity, mistrust, anger, cynicism and pessimism. It's a grim, life-and-death, global game of psychological brinkmanship, with no clear winner in sight.

Anyway, aside from that last outburst, I will refrain from participating in political discussions in this forum. I have seen too many friendships here become permanently ruined by people arguing about politics and religion, and talking about Israel seems to really get people enraged in one way or another. I don't know what the answers are, I don't know what needs to happen, I don't know whose fault it all is, and I don't know what should be done. Even if I did know all the answers, I still wouldn't know how to get everyone to agree to do it, so therein lies the rub.

But again, thanks for your concern! :)

[CathyA]

We were writing at the same time Selah! So glad to hear you are safe. Just stay safe! Such a sad situation.

[Float On]

Was thinking about you yesterday and said a prayer for you.

[Tussiemussies]

Thinking of you and will send prayers for you and for all those called into duty. Christine

[leslieann]

Thank you for the update, Selah, and I appreciated your wise words about staying OUT of political discussions....probably about anything political! I will send continuing good wishes for your safety and a rapid and peaceful solution to the mess. Okay, I'll admit to unbridled optimism about things....but it can't hurt to think positive thoughts. I have a refrigerator magnet that says, "It does't hurt to be optimistic. You can always cry later..."

[Mrs-M]

Very comforting hearing from you, Selah.

[Blackdog Lin]

Selah, your response was excellent, and we all appreciate the real-time update. I also will say a prayer for you and your countrymen tonight.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Selah, one last question. How bad was shelling in the Acco, (or Akko - never know the correct spelling of this)? I know some people there and haven't heard how that area fared?

[Selah]

Thanks again for your support and concern, everyone! Sad Eyed Lady, nothing at all happened in Acco, fortunately. Acco is very close to where I live...just a few miles down the road. If you'd like me to contact anyone there for you, just private message me and I'd be happy to call them or check in on them. Acco is an amazing place to live, by the way...lucky friends you have indeed!

[awakenedsoul]

Your post was very wise and insightful. I agree with you about discussing religion and politics. It's a sad situation. You sound positive and centered in spite of it all. I had a yoga student from Israel and she would yell at people in my class for no reason. I guess she somehow internalized all that conflict and brought it with her. I finally had to tell her that she couldn't take my class anymore. That clashing kind of energy is really intense. I believe that some cultures and some personalities just can't mix.