Not All Of The Middle East Is Sand
Many people believe all of the Middle East is sun and shifting sands, with covered women and men wearing white flowing robes. Not so. This picture was taken by my father in July, 1959. It is from our balcony looking out towards the Mediterranean Sea. Notice that this could be anywhere in the western world. Beirut was a very cosmopolitan city with all cultures welcomed and respected.
We would spend the mornings swimming in the ocean, and then drive an hour into the mountains and go skiing in the afternoons. Beirut was an amazing city. It offered the best of dozens of cultures and was a stopping off point for all people of the world. I drank Pepsi, ate Betty Crocker pancakes and sipped Lipton Tea in the evening.
Do I miss Beirut? I miss the city of my youth, a city that had so much to see and so much to do. I miss the respect for all, and I mean all faiths and cultures. I remember Jews and Arabs playing backgammon in the parks -- those things mattered little then. But
3 decades of civil war has changed Beirut into a city that I don't recognize. Maybe one day I'll return when it's safe. After all, I am an American now, and not an Arab or someone from the region. I don't want to be a target.e
Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be an American today. Although I embrace my past, my loyalty belongs to this great country, The United States. But part of who I am was created while living in Beirut, and I am very thankful for that.ountains and go
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