MY MIDDLE EASTERN EXPERIENCE
I have to admit I never thought I would travel to the Middle East. Nor did I want to. My only vision of this part of the world was war, terrorism and oppression of women. Not the kind of place I would consider a fun place to visit; let alone vacation. When I received the email last winter from a friend working in Jerusalem, I began to reconsider. You see, my friend works in TV as a producer. I realized fast that this might be the opportunity of a lifetime to see this past of the world through a person covering the news in this part of the world.
We decided on a visit and booked our tickets. I flew in from Africa and Peter from Canada. After meeting in London and spending the day in the airport, we left for Tel Aviv late at night. At 315am we arrived and by 415 we had cleared customs and met our driver at the waiting area. Mohammad had a sign with my name on it and he was surprisingly alert for so early in the morning. About 30 minutes later, he dropped us off at what we thought was our friend’s apartment building, unsure of if we stood outside the correct unit. I decided to use my $6/minute cell phone to make sure, relieved that I did check before knocking when we realized we were indeed at the wrong apartment.
It was something else just to be dropped off in the wee hours of the morning in a place we were conditioned by the media in Canada to think was a very dangerous place. We thought we should feel afraid yet somehow we weren’t. The next week would be a series of feelings such as this, leaving us fully aware of how limited our knowledge or understanding is when it’s based on the media we take in back home in Canada. Not that it’s all one-sided- I now think that the stories that the journalists want to tell are not necessarily considered ‘news’ back home. The human encounters are not as sensational and startling in our protected, far-away land as that of the suicide bomber or massive retaliation. We are somehow consumed by devastation and after six days in Jerusalem and the West Bank, I have seen none of this world that I see every night on the news.
Instead, I’ve seen caring individuals fighting to keep the seed of hope alive in what is an incomprehensible living situation. I am not a politician nor do I understand politics, and to be honest I understand less now than before this past week. What are important to me are the children- just like for the teachers, parents, coaches and adults who water the seed of hope that is kept alive by their careful nurturing.
Spending a day with the Right to Play staff in Ramallah and other parts of the West Bank was definitely the highlight of the trip for both Peter and me. We must have played with over 300 children during the day; each experience showing us the importance of this outlet for the energy of youth mixed with the aggression of living in what has been or could become at anytime a war zone. Returning to Jerusalem that evening and watching the evening news report of more conflict resulting in the death of five children in a refugee camp made us both think that those five kids could have been the children we played soccer with that same day.
I leave more convinced than ever that Right to Play’s work is more important than ever when there are so many kids dealing with the aftermath of poverty, disease and war. I’ve witnessed all of the above over the past two weeks- first in Africa and then the Middle East- and the impact these seemingly simple activities have on the most disadvantaged kids is profound. I’ve seen over and over again in sport athletes up against so much in competition shine through; in fact it often seems like the more difficult the situation the more certain individuals shine. The more difficulties I’ve had leading up to important races, the better I’ve been. This is what I have seen with the Right to Play staff and I remain so impressed and deeply inspired by. The more they are up against; the worse the situation, the more they shine and the deeper their caring and concern for the kids.
I know, without at doubt, that I will carry the hundreds of eyes I’ve looked into over the past two weeks with me on this path I travel in sport. After what I’ve seen, how can anything seem difficult to me in my safe world inside and out of sport. That I am able to delve into these other realities, even if it’s only for a week, or a day, will provide perspective that I’m sure cannot be found anywhere else. I have to continue to try because I can; because I have the chance to gain the voice to share these encounters with people and kids that are just so….well, so remarkably humane.
And all of this was found in a place where only seven days ago I was afraid to set foot into. Sometimes beauty can be found in the most devastated of places. It just goes to show, you really have to go and find out for yourself!
