The Incoming Students BBQ Party has already started, but that is not a problem for Youseff, a Middle Eastern. Life flows and is not tied to a watch. As he walks by the bookstore, at the Student Union, a magazine cover grabs his attention. It´s about the Arab Spring, now turning into the Arab Winter.
His excitement for being at the place he dreamed about for so long is being disturbed by recent news. It is impossible not to be worried about his family. Will they be safe staying where they are at? Even though his father would do everything possible to protect the family, it was natural for him to be concerned, being the older brother. He remembered the contingency plans to have the family evacuated to a neighbor country, in case something more drastic happened. His childhood memories included those long hours playing hide-and-seek inside those tunnels dug by his father and uncles, forming a complex labyrinth, leading to well disguised entrances, or exits, in a family farm near the border with that other Arab country. Only family members had access to that tunnel, which was accessed through a fake cabinet filled with homemade fruit jam jars, in the basement of their home. That spacious and cozy area, with a large rustic table and chairs, referred to as the “dungeon”, was normally used for family time.
Youseff though, remembered that his father sometimes used the privacy provided by the “dungeon” to hold more private meetings with close relatives and friends. Business stuff, as he used to say, making sure the children were kept away from it. After a short walk being entertained by these memories, he finally arrived at the place where the reception party was being held. He was suddenly struck by a different vision and sensation. Great live music was being played by a professional band. Something he had never experienced before.
Different nationalities and accents together. Concerned and highly motivated people sharing the same food and enjoying one another, making jokes and laughing, yet respecting the differences. It was as if they formed a family, bonded by the same ideals and dreams. There was a different spirit, entirely different than that shown in the news. Two different worlds. The future in a BBQ party. He knew he was in the right place, at the right time. He was about the enter his personal Spring
When was the last time you had this feeling? Did you ever feel the same way, at one point, in your life?
