Hello!
When I first started writing this post, a few days ago, I had something else in mind, somehow related to what I am about to write.
Firstly, I intended to share with you how I felt about the 1 year “anniversary” (sounds to happy of a word for such an occasion, but you get my point) of the Brussels terror attacks and how these have affected me even though I had not been directly involved.
But you know, the World is constantly changing and so many things happen within 24 hours. A lot more happens that any of us ever realizes or will ever know. Because we simply do not have access to ALL information of what’s going on.
To a certain point, this may not even be so bad.
I don’t like to sound pessimistic or whatever, but the truth is, these aren’t happy times! The World isn’t a better place now then it was some years ago.
Two options, in my perspective apply:
– Either I, or all of us, are more aware of what’s going on, not just due to the huge amount of information we are constantly being bombarded with but also because we are grown ups now and see the World through different eyes;
-Or, the World is a really f*cked up place!
It upsets me that someone, no matter what his/her motives may be, feels in the total right to come and mess up with my (our) lives the way these people (whoever they are) do!
But that’s what Terror is; it knows no reason nor true meaning.
Every single day there is a Terror event somewhere in the World, some closer to us some further away.
Some happen in places we have visited, live in or know, and others just happen so far away that honestly, we just do not care enough. Oh, and what about those attacks in countries at war? Is there anyone really interesting in those?
I don’t think so!
Never seen a “Pray for Iraq”, “Pray for Afghanistan” or even “Je suis Damascus” or “Je suis” whatever… I think you get my point.
Now, with all this being said, everyone has the right to “pray for X” if they will, but honestly, unless it is seriously close to us, tomorrow, our lives will go on.
We will indeed forget and will dive into our lovely bubbles that our day to day lives are in. Sad but true.
I have done this.
Except for that one time; the one this post was firstly about.
Brussels.
Why Brussels had such an impact on me, not just one year ago but still to this day is quite simple to explain.
I will try to put it in bullet points to avoid an extensive text (as if it isn’t long enough already…)
- I lived in Brussels for half a year while finishing my studies. The city is somehow familiar.
- Most of my flights back to Portugal are from/to Brussels.
- When family and friends come visit, most of their flights are from/to Brussels.
- I had a flight planned for March 22nd 2016 departing from Brussels; but then, I decided to change the dates and go home a couple of days earlier.
- I had been siting at the Starbucks across the place where the bombs went off. Starbucks was gone…
- My return flight to Brussels had to be diverted due to this event.
- My car was at the airport.
- Since that day, until this day, there is no single time that I am at Zavantem that I do not feel a weird vibe; get flashbacks of the shocking news or from the aftermath…
- All the security and army at the airport, does not make it any easier.
And I was not even there! No one I knew was there at that time!
It was a lucky shot.
Every single day can be “our lucky shot”.
And those, unfortunately, are the times we live in.
Do I live in fear? No.
But I am more aware of the fact that, one of these days, myself or someone I care about, may be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Unfortunately, I can only think of one thing:
“The Future is dark”
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| A candle for this sick World | Sony a5100 |
Talk soon.
Next post: April 6th 2017 @ 9AM CET
