Till We Meet Again...

Honestly, I'm not sure why I feel compelled to post this picture. I saw it in a live news feed on The Guardian website. I won't post the link as the context is nothing new... I'm afraid it's just one of thousands of more war pictures circulating.

In fact, I don't even know what the relationship is between man and child; I assume it is father/child, but could also be two total strangers.

I, like many others, have become desensitised to imagery of war and atrocities, and this picture is not graphic at all, but it evoked a strong emotion in me that I struggle to describe or categorise.

It's not sadness nor melancholy... I think. I've been contemplating it for the last hour and have only come up with three, very personal, reasons:

1) I haven't had the pleasure and pain of fatherhood, so maybe I find it difficult to put myself in the man's shoes. On the other hand, I'm a son, so I should be able to comprehend the child's emotions, albeit he/she looks very young, maybe too young to understand.

2) My father suffered a stroke not ten days ago and haven't been able to admit to myself that he could be in a lot of trouble if his situation were to worsen.

3) I'm in Europe, so the Ukraine conflict is much closer to home than any other war I've read about, but never directly experienced. I should be sh*tt*ng bricks, but I'm not... maybe I'm more desensitised than I thought. My life is not exactly normal and it's full of hurt, so a bit more suffering isn't going to revolutionise my life.

Anyway, here is the picture...


Actually, my first thought on seeing it was a song, which I decided, for want of creativity, to use as the thread title.



Btw: perhaps this picture stimulates an unofficial ATS Short Story thread... I'd be very curious to read what members could come up with...

Thanks for reading my pointless thread.

a reply to: Encia22

I know this photo too well as my father was in the military.

As a small child I would cry my eyes out every time he had to leave. We would look at each other and speak with our eyes.
The best part was when he returned home. To this day I can't watch those reunion videos without bawling!

a reply to: Encia22

I lost my father to an auto accident when I was 9. Dad was there last night, this morning, mom gets a call and we're off the to hospital.

Next thing I know , mom's screaming in anguish, and everything has changed....Forever.

I have never experienced war, first hand. I hope that I never have to.

But, I know that there are some possibilities in life that are too painful, too overwhelming to contemplate, and retain any modicum of sanity. In these instances, the trauma, blessedly, shuts down what would be our emotions; we do not fear, we do not fight, we just do our best to....exist.

Humans should learn to live in peace and harmony, it sounds cheesy.. BUT we have to, also treasure the nature and the planet we live on. We should put all wars behind us and look forward

a reply to: Encia22

When I read your title Vera's song immediately came to mind.... funny.

Best wishes to you .

originally posted by: Spacespider
Humans should learn to live in peace and harmony, it sounds cheesy.. BUT we have to, also treasure the nature and the planet we live on. We should put all wars behind us and look forward

Yes, we should; but we won't.

War is inevitable when evil folk try to take over .
However , what makes wars evil are the ones that create enemies just to wage war .