Good morning, January 5th
The morning arrived – 3:30 a.m. with a huge boom. My partner assured me that everything was okay. Still thinking of the previous night when I was prepared for a sudden warning to head down to the shelters, I had to shake myself back into calm. I took a walk, looked at the time, and buried myself under the blanket.
Everything’s alright. A phone call at 5:30. No one was there. Everything’s fine. Mymind rolls over all the possible phone callers, as I dial the code to discover the caller’s number. Nothing but the number ‘9’ a code for who knows what? Recently our kibbutz switchboard (or however it’s called these days) is a little bizarre.
So, it’s now 9:20 a.m. and I’ve checked out 5 TV stations for news. I’ve looked at 2 newspapers and read a few blogs.
What’s new?
Everyone’s asking how long Operation Cast Lead will continue. What will be the next phase? When will life get back to normal here in the south. When will schools resume. When will businesses get back to work. When will we be given the all-clear from the Army to start our life.
Will our life re-start before a viable peace agreement has been reached? Will there be such an agreement?
We, kibbutzniks, moshavniks, city dwellers all believe that of course, there’ll be some form of written agreement so that we’ll be able to continue to live, breathe, raise our children and our crops all to the tune of regular life sounds.
Therapy
What are you doing in the meantime? One friend is cleaning the house, working on her garden, doing the long-form of her DVD Pilates. Another friend is accomplishing tons of work. Two others are in the city, looking after others, taking care of their children.
As for me, I believe in therapy. I believe in puppet therapy,and always have. So, I’m working on my puppets, investing more time than usual on rounding the foam rubber corners, smoothing out the scissor sculptures. I listen to music, whether country-rock, jazz or Roderigo guitar. I try to ignore the TV, but sometimes I’m swept into a TV movie. More therapy, of course.
On Thursday, I’ll be heading out to the Trauma Seminar in Kibbutz Sheffayim, hosted by NATAL,the Israeli organization for Trauma Rehabilitation for Victims of Terror and War. I’ll be attending lectures and a workshop devoted to my favourite form of expressive therapy, Psychodrama. I’ll be happily partaking in any trauma rehabilitation methods offered. I’m ripe for rehab!
The day is sunny, quite beautiful. Booms have been limited. I’ll be back.
Here’s a map of the area. Nir-Oz is just to the right of the label “Gaza Strip” :
Let My People Know / talk about it now 