The spur of the moment…..ended with a great feeling

I received an email from a friend proposing to meet-up, along with 30 some people I don't know at all. It was a different idea that was starting to become interesting. A comment one of the group summarized it all; "I look forward to meeting new people". The idea started to become extremely interesting as emails were exchanged to identify the location of this meeting. Amongst the suggestions was also to attend a music concert in Sakyat Elsawey in Zamalek. Due to the amount of support to attending the concert, the venue was Cilantro Zamalek.

The exchange of emails was overwhelming, and it showed that this is a interesting group of people. Although I must admit it made me feel a little old :) compared to the whole group. Along side this decision making effort, a few suggestions popped up. It started with the question of how people who are not acquainted might identify each other. Someone suggested wearing the same color, and I was going to suggest a red rose in the jacket, or the newspaper experience I had in Morocco, but thought it was too cheeky :). However, once someone made a suggestion to buy T-shirts in support of Lebanon that someone in the group knew about it was an easy decision from there. Ideas started to spring up suggesting that those joining the concert should wear it. As the number of participants interested in the group to purchase the T-shirts grew, I made a comment that we should make a stand and sell the shirts, to make some money for the coffee we are going to consume. It was intended as a joke, but it actually materialized, although not to get money for the coffee but to support Lebanon which was the original idea of the T-Shirts. I don't think that my comment was the reason for what happened, it had already been up there in the emails and it was inevitably coming. A suggestion to have the band wear the T-shirts, and then the idea to talk to the people at Sakeyet Elsawey to sell the shirts were springing up faster than my ability to read emails. It was all set.

I headed out to Cilantro to join this group, and initially I was expecting to be quick in and out. I wasn't sure I would fit in with the group, and the thought of attending the concert was definitely not in my mind at all. It ended so much differently. I actually found the group very interesting. The greatest thing about this group is the energy they have within them. It was very positive, and it can actually grow on you. As plans of selling shirts at the concert started to finalize I decided to join in and attend the concert. After the coffee and the introduction cycles that we frequently interrupted with new people joining, most of the group had changed into the T-shirt. The group walked to the concert.

Members of the group had made arrangements with the management at Saket Elsawey to sell the shirts and someone brought them along to the event. The management also supported the fundraising by donating the revenue of this concert and two others later in the week, which was a great start to begin with. The group was given a booth to sell them, and we hung up a poster identifying the activity. I also had been keen to hang posters in many places where people can write their thought to children of Lebanon and Palestine, although I was not optimistic that many would write I still hung one up next to the booth. The shirts started selling even before the concert started.

The concert was packed, and with all the heat it was starting to be demanding. However, it was still a great feeling to be part of this. The promise was that they would announce that the shirts were being sold in the concert. The promise never materialized, but it was not needed. The 100+ shirts on hand were sold out and there was a huge demand on them. They ended up as a great success. We collected over 3000LE in that concert towards the support of the people of Lebanon.

It was also noticeable that there were many Lebanese amongst the group. A group of Lebanese insisted to purchase the flag I had along with me. I sold it to them. I also chatted briefly with a young lady from the South of Lebanon, who managed to go out after almost 3 weeks of the war with her mother. The stories you hear are so moving, and the helplessness you generally feel grows. I was also speechless, on what to say in this situation. However, that night I was feeling that I have done something, very very very small, but something at least to Lebanon.

Some people wrote comments to the children of Lebanon and Palestine. Some of the comments were moving, and some were carried away with their feelings. I quote some of the comments

"I'm sorry I'm enjoying the beach & the cinema while you have to go through all of this. But you have dignity & I have you to look up to for the rest of my life"

"One day you will grow up and find PEACE PEACE….. & a better place to live. HAVE FAITH"

"ستعود ياهوة بيروت ..... ستعود ياهوة لبنان"

Although I heard a lot of names, and saw a lot of faces, I don't think I can match many of them yet; Although I didn't get to hear much of the concert, it was the first time for me to see the Wust Elbalad band, because of the noise; It was a great day that ended making me feeling much better as a human. I also think that I am going ahead feeling that change is possible, if people allow themselves to believe in themselves. And it all happened at the spur of the moment.