In the summer of 1988, my father took me up to look at the remains of our home, the dream house that he'd built. It was my first time since our family left four years earlier. Political and obscene graffiti covered the half-torn walls. There was no ceiling and surprisingly no floor: the parquet, the stone, the marble, all looted.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the irreversible impact of loss and the passage of time.
Rabih Alameddine's quote captures a vivid memory of returning to a once-beloved home, now reduced to ruins by time and circumstance. It illustrates the deep emotional connection we have to places and how loss—whether due to war, politics, or decay—can alter our perceptions and memories. The imagery of the graffiti and the absence of a proper structure symbolizes not only physical destruction but also the erosion of dreams and family bonds, suggesting a poignant reflection on resilience amidst devastation.
In practice
Using this quote during a speech about rebuilding communities after loss.
There is never a sudden revelation, a complete and tidy explanation for why it happened, or why it ends, or why or who you are. You want one and I want one, but there isn't one. It comes in bits and pieces, and you stitch them together wherever they fit, and when you are done you hold yourself up, and still there are holes and you are a rag doll, invented, imperfect. And yet you are all that you have, so you must be enough. There is no other way.
Your life feels different on you, once you greet death and understand your heart's position. You wear your life like a garment from the mission bundle sale ever after - lightly because you realize you never paid nothing for it, cherishing because you know you won't ever come by such a bargain again.
You say their stories, it is gift they give you.
Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song
After you're dead and buried and floating around whatever place we go to, what's going to be your best memory of Earth? What one moment for you defines what it's like to be alive on this planet? What's your takeaway? Fake yuppie experiences that you had to spend money on, like white water rafting or elephant rides in Thailand don't count. I want to hear some small moment from your life that proves you're really alive.
I don't have a career, I have a life. I don't have an exterior judgment on what would be good or bad for me.
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