Wednesday 12 March 2008

My -very subtle- Jordan..

Today, according to the blogo-calendar, is the Blog about Jordan day, and besides the haphazard celebration on a haphazard date, the thoughts in this post are anything but haphazard, they've been brewing in my mind for a while, and today is certainly an occasion to express them.

I know that we're not perfect, no society is, no nation is completely immune from social injustices or economic hardships, so I won't sing praise in the fashion of festive speech making and the art of celebration. Today I give credit to those who wake up every morning and go make a living, the farmers and the teachers, the simple people who make an honest living..as little as they make, a little girl who wakes up with the sun and combs her hair into pigtails before walking to school, and in the evening, she finishes her homework, recites a short prayer she learned as she surrenders to sleep to dream of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, and live in the distant utopia called Amman.

The Jordan I'm proud of transcends the big buildings with glass facades and the Wi-Fi enabled cafés of West Amman, it's the Jordan of people who are patient, content with what they have, the ones who insist on giving their children the good education they deserve, even if that meant taking bread away from their own mouths, the people who have all the hope.. and all the patience in the world, Those are the Jordan of tomorrow, the ones who will bring Jordan forward, ethically..more than anything, as God knows we're in need for a dose of ethics, we seem to think that the dissolving of ethics is a natural result of modernity, when in fact it's a natural cause for our own dissolve..into the unknown.

Today, I'm celebrating the children living on the edges of the Jordanian desert, who probably have internet access in the white washed schools of their remote villages, but have no running water in their homes, the mothers who weave traditional dresses to feed their families, the same dresses the ladies of the velvet society wear at gala dinners at The Dunes. I'm celebrating the waiters who work evenings to pay for their university studies. The Jordan I'm proud of is one hidden in hearts, and the hearts are of people who know what Love truly means, they don't have to express it, as actions speak louder than words, and with every breath they take, their love is proven; to themselves, to each other, and to those who care to look into their eyes, it's a soft determination, coated with hope and content, and the warmth of hearts feeds it as it grows, slowly..but surely.


Painting by Jordanian artist Muhanna Al-Durra.

19 comments:

  1. Wow! That was truly, and very emotionally, amazing.
    These people you speak of, the salt of the earth, the great majority of amazingly poor but content, deprived but proud continue to amaze me, as I try to explain these things to people in the west who just can't fathom the thought that people in these conditions can be so disciplined ethically, morally or in anyway content

    Amazing words... May god bless Jordan, and the people of Jordan

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  2. Thanks Q, Content is a sign of Nobility my friend, we don't appreciate that side in people as much as we should.

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  3. Very touching! Absolutely LOVED it! Such expressive words that go straight to the heart. I salute you for this great post!

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  4. I like the notion about the people being patient despite all of the calamaties that surrounds every aspect of their lives.In my opinion patience and fortitude are virtues that will pay off on the long run. Very surreal piece, I like it.

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  5. Ammar, this is my favorite BAJO post. Love that. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

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  6. I was waiting patiently to read your post today and I wasn't disappointed..It's even better than what I imagined it would be..
    It is simply beautiful..
    May you and your home be always blessed..

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  7. you are the one i was waiting his post the most Ammar, and i must say, that was amazing!! thank you so much.. 3an jd!

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  8. Deemco,
    Thanks very much, glad you liked it.

    Hatem,
    Thank you, as you said, patience is something we don't appreciate very often.

    Kinzi,
    well that's quite a compliment, Thank you!

    Noura,
    As always I'm flattered, thank you.

    Maioush,
    You're welcome! but Thank YOU for the constant reminders on FB, it was like being in school all over again :)

    Diana,
    Walek how are you?? sorry for the "how are you!"

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  9. This was a wonderful post, beautifully written. I stand speechless weakened by such people's actions speaking louder than their words. Bless them!..

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  10. Thanks Batoul, Glad you liked it, and God bless all Circassians, in Jordan and outside..including new jersey!

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  11. Very nice...emotional but realistic in a really smart way:)
    I had to read it twice to enjoy it even more :$

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  12. lol Nido, well then thank you twice!

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  13. lol, ana mnee7a
    long time no see, shta2nalak :D

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  14. tishta2lek el 3afieh..Congrats for the upcoming motherhood, and the moving to UAE :)

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  15. Ammar

    Great piece!

    ((Today I give credit to those who wake up every morning and go make a living, the farmers and the teachers, the simple people who make an honest living..as little as they mak))

    I love this part ...

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  16. Thanks Tamara, glad you liked it

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  17. Salt of the earth, indeed. Wow, we really did need this Blog About Jordan Day, didn't we? We get so caught up in just trying to live that we really do forget to stop and take stock of all that is good here.

    And I was speaking of Birmingham, Alabama. Did you know that Birmingham, Alabama, and Karak, Jordan, are sister-cities? Who would have thought that?

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  18. That's very true ummfarouq, and we should always look into the eyes of simple people, they radiate with a mysterious power of content and happiness.

    I didn't know that Birmingham and Karak were sister cities, so does that mean they cook Mansaf in Birmingham? lol

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