iran

in case you didn't know, iran had their elections a week ago today. and the people aren't happy. i must admit i am happy to see people 'taking to the streets' to stand up for their rights, albeit under less than favorable circumstances. and yesterday, while hanging out with mona, i had the most fascinating conversation.

i asked mona what she thought of the iranian election. and her response, "well, i don't like politics." but she didn't stop there. mona is more concerned with the issues behind the politics rather than the manifestation of them in the formalized realm. mona told me she sees politics as a play, and there's a stage, and there are actors. and right now, the leading actor is iran. so, everyone turns their eyes to watch the main actor, which distracts us from what may be happening in the lives of other actors (i see a hint of marx in all of this :). but oh, the key here is that the actors are often adversaries (or positioned as such) of the united states. and we all know what happens if someone defies the united states...i should note that mona is not at all 'anti-american,' or anything, but her point is well-taken. we often focus on one 'issue' or country and then jump to the next. meanwhile, it's not necessarily that any of the issues are necessarily resolved, per se, it's just that another actor takes center stage. so very true.

and as an aside, the highlight of my day yesterday: when we were getting ready to leave the house, nabeel (mona's son) couldn't find his shoes. i said to him, "well, i'm sure you have another pair." he responded, "no, actually i only have two pairs now. one to wear everyday and one for dress." once he found them, he showed me that they weren't even a brand name. nabeel proceeded to tell me that he has gotten rid of a lot of clothes (and showed me his closet to prove it). he also bragged about his 'new' shirt, which was actually a hand-me-down from his oldest brother, adnan. when i asked nabeel what caused this switch he just shrugged his shoulders. whatever it is, i'll take it. now, if only i could follow my own advice and rid myself of all but two pairs of shoes...