Beirut...
Beirut.
What can I say about Beirut?
She is the city that will always have my heart, my soul and my demons.
She is the biggest smallest city.
I moved to its center at 18 years of age and it was love at first sight.
This City embraced me, Allowed me to become a better version of myself, Shed a huge light on my insecurities, and raised my self-esteem.
She took me in, a closeted loner, self-loathing and angry, struggling with my body and mind.
She showed me what I have been missing on
I had my first friend, then a hundred.
I gained my own voice, my own choice.
About who I want to be.
I was in control.
I found out that I have power.
I have Power beyond what anyone can dream to control
I fell in love in Beirut.
That love healed me and allowed me to become a better human.
Rekindling a kindness towards myself I never knew existed.
However, the topic here is her, Beirut!
And she as well, belonged to no one, and was there for everyone.
For every dreamer in Lebanon wishing to find a solace.
For every disrupter of decayed conventions.
I LIKE TO CALL BEIRUT THE MUTE MUSE.
That is because in her arms she makes a promise to accept you as you are.
Yet her silence comes at a price!
Her dream is only half fulfilled
She had to cut out her tongue so no one forces her to talk about her children.
And now she is hurting more than ever.
But no one seems to hear her scream!
She cannot show off how diverse, and well versed her children really are.
Because she fears for their safety.
She fears that her strength to hold back bad people from her home is wavering.
The progress she once promised generations to come is but restrained.
...And finally she admits that its time for her children to carry her through, Otherwise tomorrow might be another explosion that will push her over the edge.
Still I love Beirut, as I always strive to keep my connections to things, people and places all about positive and joyful experiences.
Regardless, if they were in cities we will never live in again, with people who we will never encounter again, or maybe with old friends with whom we lost contact and must learn to let go of, in order to move on.
It’s a bitter sweet city, with bitter sweet memories, that opened my eyes to the reality of things.
For Beirut’s unapologetic truth, the 12 years of warm embrace and the consciousness expansion experience, I will forever be grateful!