After my trip to the Bryce Canyon I suddenly realized that it might be my last visit to the Southern Utah and Northern Arizona area, and there won’t be any new photographs to share, so I just wrote a blog and used my old pictures taken with a modest camera 7-8 years ago, before Nikon D 700 was released 🙂

But before I proceed with sharing my travel experiences, I want to tell a few words about another kind of travels.

Thousands are fleeing Islamic state and illegally cross the borders throughout Europe.  Wealthy Gulf countries, their Muslim brethren, refuse to take them; just some of the wealthy are willing to provide monetary help here and there.

Most of European nations ( and I don’t mean the Governments but people) have made clear they don’t want to see any newcomers in their countries, crisis or not. The poorer is the country, the louder the protests. Western Europe has not exactly thrown wide open its doors to the migrants too. Crisis turns into catastrophe.

I understand local residents who are watching with horror the Youtube videos of the migrants pressing forward, fighting with police, stealing unattended personal belongings when passing through the villages.  I understand their feelings when they read that some, already settled refugees, refuse to do hard agricultural works that are offered to them.  Local residents are afraid for their security, their own job, their national identity. Oh I understand them all right, no doubts about that. But will their hate help? Will their hate change anything?

We are not the Governments, the Banks, the Billionaires.  Let the influential institutions do their job ( there is no overnight solution, so be patient ). But to give a desperate, frightened, hungry, vulnerable,  language-less, right-less individual something more than hate – can we do it? I know that many griefs are self-inflicted. But please feed the hungry before questioning the causes of his hunger.

Eastern European residents – I know you have very little, but don’t you have almost half of your population scattered around the world and given a chance for a better life, even that you are not exactly welcome.  So, even if you don’t welcome refugees – don’t hate them! No country will prosper if her people hate others.

Don’t blame these poor souls for wanting to live in a different place than their own sorry country. Be grateful for your own good fortune, even if it is a very small good fortune. Live up to your religious beliefs, and if it doesn’t work out, stop waving the religious flag whatsoever – you cannot be born a Christian – you can only become a Christian, and it is not my job to remind you what it means.

The world is changing, the Governments have to deal with different problems than 50 years ago. I hope they do something about the refugee disaster before the winter falls. Europe is hardly a long-term solution. These people have to be settled somewhere – I hope they will, in their own land, in a safe, just place, with the help of the rest of the world. Help, not hate. As to those who are going to remain in Europe –  I hope they learn their lessons, and stay happy and grateful.

If people only knew how much they can achieve by just being grateful.

This post is dedicated to 09.11.01.

 This is my post # 100 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend ye all!