And Zoe is almost four years old!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Innocence Lost
A terrible thing happened in Norway last week. A right wing extremist had, in the name of protecting his country against liberals and Islam, gone on a rampage, killing nearly a hundred people, most of them youths. Everywhere it seems "the center cannot hold." And today, I read a op-ed in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/opinion/27nesbo.html?src=me&ref=general). It was written by Jo Nesbo, an author. The op-ed talked about the the lost of innocence, about how, "there is no road back to the way it was" in Norway. It made me think about the way things are in America and the world right now, about my sense that soon, there will be no way back. Environmental degradation, resource wars, wars fueled by religious differences. The peace I enjoyed growing up, the wealth, the luxury of complacency about how things will basically be the same or better... my children will probably not have it. And it's not even just about these mega events. The innocence is lost at the most basic level. Today, in the toy store was an elderly gentleman. He looked perfectly respectable and was there taking a long time studying toys. I imagine he is a loving grandfather looking for a meaningful gift for his grandchild. But still, a part of me, having read just one too many story about pedophiles and kidnapped children, regarded him warily. Obviously, I no longer feel a sense of security when it comes to my children. There is no trust. And there is fear. A couple of weeks ago, at a playground, a child fell almost in front of me. He tripped. I instinctively reached forward to help him. But I also stopped myself from being too helpful. Just in case the mother thinks I'm about to kidnap her child. It's crazy. Completely crazy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)