Sit a Bit…

Meet Gaza.

As the rain began to fall over Belgrade Fortress I sought shelter in the tunnel of its main entrance. Tucked further down the tunnel was a little windowless, brick-walled shop that sold historical map recreations. As I walked around, Gaza began asking me about my travels. One question struck me in particular: “What does Europe have that the U.S. is missing?” I thought a moment. “The longevity of history,” I said at last. She replied, “Yes it’s good, but sometimes we get stuck in the past when it would be better to start anew. So, why Belgrade specifically?” This one was hard. I had been reading up on the conflicts during the nineties through the eyes of Chris Hedges, a veteran war correspondent and the author of War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. So, I said as much. She became immediately serious. “Be careful who you read because everyone will try to say ‘we were right.’ It’s a mess.” Hedges actually posits that by way everyone’s tendency to lay claim to being the holy innocent victim no one is allowed to be a real victim because their suffering is hijacked and weaponized. “Yes. The real victims aren’t here anymore,” she said, staring almost through the maps on a table in front of her.

“Here,” she said after a long silence. “Sit a bit and have coffee with me.” I obliged, embarrassed at my insensitivity. She smiled across the table at me while pouring some of the strongest coffee I’ve ever had. “That’s good. You read about it, and now you’re here. You won’t ever be able to really see. Some are stuck there, others want to pretend it never happened. But it’s done…come.” She gestured towards a display to show me the maps from antiquity and the steady increase in our understanding of the world’s geography, explaining the nuance of how they were painted and who had them commissioned. Gaza had studied art and history in school. I’d asked her what inspired her to take up a paint brush. “The first time I drew something, I had this feeling like it was never ending. Like I’ll never be done learning...I’d do it even if it didn’t make sense [monetarily - in ref. to an earlier part of our conversation] because it makes sense to me. It doesn’t always feel like flying or swimming, sometimes I’d rather be swimming. But I’d still paint even if I didn’t get paid.” Before sending me on my way she asked “Would you like to play a little game?” Pulling a little camera from her bag she explained the rules. “Very simple. I take a photo of you with my camera, then your camera, then you do the same for me.” This is Gaza. She reminded me that a people cannot be reduced to the conflicts that defined their generation or changed the course a country’s history. In fact, their unique humanity will continue to shine through.