Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The Path Before Us Darkens

I'm sure many have written about the fires that have engulfed Greece and have caused the deaths of at least 64 human beings. I am not going to write a long speach about why I think this happened or why it is such a catastrophe for Greece. I would just like to say that both my grandfathers are from the village of Matesi near Andritsaina. This was the village featured on TV where the flames have encircled the village and have jumped the river Alphaio into Arcadia.

My great grandfather was the priest of Matesi and his father-in-law before him. Their family tomb is buried in front of the church and the house has stood for 4 generations. Although I have no family living in the village at this moment, the whole male history of my family is located in those homes, in that land. If they burn, I feel that I will lose a part of myself and a part of my forefathers as well. Perhaps some may not consider this a big deal. However, I am a firm believer that one cannot know where they are going if they do not know where they come from. In that, I fear that when all this is over, the path before me may be a bit more difficult to find than I anticipated.

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