Where is the love, y'all?

Mostly I think I am not a worrier. I happened to talk to Lev on the phone yesterday and he said there had been a bombing in Cairo earlier. He is currently on the Nile cruise part of his tour. We talked briefly about the bombing, but there were not many details available to him - he was getting his news from one of his group's blackberry, nor to me sitting on Magnolia when there was no news on the radio and no internet access. We agreed to talk again today. In other news, he said he'd gotten to take an unexpected hot air balloon ride that morning, rising up over the desert at sunrise and crossing over the Nile for a bird's eye view of the ancient pyramids. He has pictures and details that he'll post here soon. Stay tuned.

Shortly after hanging up the phone Zpora called, having seen the news of the attack. She asked if I was worried, and my immediate “no” possibly reassured her enough (I think) to let herself go to sleep. I told her to let Billy (the cat) do the worrying, and she liked the idea that he might be doing actual constructive work lying on the bed, cleaning each paw in turn.

I found myself reading my book (Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts)late into the night. I wasn't ready to sleep yet, partly because the story was so compelling, and partly because I was ...well, worrying. This morning I turned on Democracy Now and Amy reported on the bombing about 10 minutes into the news. She gave a tight little summary of the event - someone threw a grenade into a crowd at a public square near the Khan al-Khalili bazaar and the al Hussein mosque. I remember walking through that square a number of times alone, with Lev and with my friend Beth when I was there last spring. The Bazaar is a labyrinth of tiny walkways lined with shops and workshops making the things they're selling. Walking through it requires a strong constitution. Beth had a hand drawn map to her favorite places. One time I was there at sunset and the square was lined with men praying. Overflow from the mosque often extends into the square. It does seem like a place that is particularly vulnerable to attack, and maybe not a safe place to be – too chaotic, too many people… – oh wait, WHERE is a safe place to experience Egyptian life/culture – maybe from a balloon high overhead??! That is the insidious part of worrying, the part that makes me think there is a way to avoid danger in the midst of being fully alive.

The events that were unfolding in Shantaram certainly offer lots of images for Billy to worry over. For that matter, I had to switch from Amy Goodman to rappers Black Eyed Peas this morning because her stories were way too fertile worry ground, and with no heartfull rhythm and melody to keep me “gravitatin' to the love."

Where’s the love y/all?
What’s the truth y’all?
Let your soul gravitate
To the Love, y'all
Sing with me y’all,
One world, one world.
That’s all we got
One world one world…”

You can check out Black Eyed Peas here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L33qNgXy-FQ

Here is the love y'all, coming your way.
Ruby