Pull Me Closer

There was a bombing in Jerusalem. Not somewhere outside Jerusalem. But in the city. Across from the central bus station. Because I lived in this city for five months, this is very real to me. It's not some far away city. It's not a small city that I passed through. It's not even a city that I toured for a week. This is a city where I got to know the people and feel the essence. A place where I walked up and down the streets until I no longer needed a map. I place where I was no longer a visitor. I was there and I have an exact picture of the street. I became a part of Jerusalem and a piece of Jerusalem.

I have friends who are currently living there. Some of them are still working at their internships and take the 74 (the bus route that was hit). My friends from work take the bus to and from the central bus station after work.  No one I know was hurt and everyone is ok. There are people there that I care and worry about when things like this happen. However, events like this build a community bond. This is why Israelis know their neighbors and are so friendly with each other in the private of their homes. Because when someone needs help, you can't rely on foreign allies to help. Being across seas only adds to the distance and only helps with rebuilding. You need a neighbor and a friend, or even a stranger, to rely on because if something happens you have help.

While this does shake me a little bit, it also pulls me closer to the country.  I have a need and a want to be there. I want to be in the middle of the action. To know exactly what is going on. American news sources over exaggerate the events so how do I know what to actually believe? Never for one moment was I afraid or scared of an attack. The fear of a terrorist attack is part of the Israeli lifestyle. You have to take the good with the bad. However, while an event like this is higher in Israel than the United States, statistically, there is a small chance of getting hurt. "Only" 30 people were injured and one was killed after being severely wounded, but in a country of 7 million, that's almost nothing. The statistics of getting hit by a car crossing the street is higher.