7 of 31 - SOLSC 2019
Fastening our abayas we slowly made our way out of the room and down the stairs, feeling various levels of stuffed after our delectable buffet lunch. Arriving at the gate at which we had entered the school we found it locked with no way to open it from the inside.
Two moments flashed through my mind as we wound our way around the edge of the campus compound, in search of a way out.
Moment one:
Several years ago there was a fire in a girls' school in Saudi. I had heard about it on the news and had several conversations about it as we lived in Jeddah at the time. Many females died because they were locked in the school and the males on the outside wouldn't let them out as the females were not completely covered.
Moment two:
En route to this location we had stopped at another girls' school. As I was talking to the guard, trying to determine if the school we were standing in front of was the correct location, or just a school with an identical name in the same city, someone knocked on the gate from within. I looked up to see the guard unlock a padlock - on the outside of the entrance.
We did find the main gate and were able to walk out and around the block in the beautiful Saudi winter sun. The conversation was about how good it felt to stretch our legs, bask in the weather, and enjoy one another's company. These moments stayed with me, but I kept them to myself.
I am a teacher as well and I regularly note my fears as a teacher. Will I be able to keep the kids safe emotionally and physically? This weighs heavily on me. Thanks for airing this silent conversations that we have as teachers.
ReplyDeleteThe slice has taught me a way of sharing - memories, connected with what we are going through. Thank you
ReplyDeletePowerful the way you offer us two very distinct paths of thought in this situation. Illustrates well how the mind makes space for both doom and recovery.
ReplyDeleteI've always said that I have a "worst case scenario" brain and I'm pretty sure I inherited it through the paternal side of my family. I also think that the world feels pretty scary these days and there's plenty of evidence readily available to stack up on the "worst case" side. It's so important to remember that most often horrible things don't happen (I work at this!), but I can fully understand how your mind went where it did. I'm so glad the outcome was positive and that you then enjoyed a refreshing walk with sun and companionship.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a “what if” subtext to your reflections—past memories framed by the central story. The structure of your post gives me a boxed in, trapped feeling. It’s like you’ve created a wall around memories you don’t feel free to speak about. Extrapolated into other cultures, I can’t hrlp but think about the ways we do these things to girls. We don’t put them in buildings and burn them, but there’s certainly other ways we allow and enable their destruction.
ReplyDeleteYou are brilliant, and I am so grateful I found this post.
I felt a chill when reading your post, then a question formed: padlocked? Really? I should know better, but the chill you gave me, is still lingering...
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrible thing to have girls locked in the building and the boys were not willing to help them.
ReplyDeleteAnd your title is so important. Practicing gratitude EVERY DAY is so important. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteYes, my daughter worked as a midwife for two years in Riyadh. She saw some appalling stuff, how the birth of a daughter was never celebrated and a mother was pretty much a baby machine. She experienced and learned many sad things. I can't imagine teaching in that culture. You must be very strong!
ReplyDeleteOur life experience contributes to the way we live and respond to every situation. I might consider that situation as humorous and an adventure but your life experience took you someplace else.
ReplyDeleteThe way you juxtapose the light, enjoyable opening paragraph against the darker paragraphs of your memories makes this slice really powerful and causes me to stop and think about how my past experiences affect the way I look at a situation. Beautiful slice!
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence highlights how at any given moment, a person's thoughts can carry them away,and we decide whether to take everyone with us or not. Powerful!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we hold our darkest fears inside. Blessing that all were well.
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