I posed a question - I do this once a week with a yearning that you will contribute your uniqueness here for all to see.
Becoming Question Number 10 was::
If your home was bombed and you had to flee your country
and sail across the sea in a rubber boat with your family -
what one object would you want to keep safe to take with you? and WHY?
Here are the wondrous answers::
Wow, that’s really hard to answer!! I’m not sure if I would go back for anything, provided my cats are safe and coming with me, as when it boils down to things my pets are my only family, and I can’t see anything else being important enough to me to rescue? Without knowing what the situation feels like, I’m guessing that life and the lives of others are really the only things that matter?
If I really had to choose something, it might be my phone? To me that is communication with others, checking if they are safe and ensuring I can stay in contact with others if possible. Whilst I would say materially I am blessed, I don’t think anything holds enough value to risk my life to salvage it. I would be devastated that my home and everything in it had gone, but I’m sure in that situation survival and safety would be more important than things.
I don’t really know, it’s a really hard situation to try to imagine myself being in, whilst knowing it is the reality for so many others. It’s so hard to try to think of possessions, when lives are threatened.
V
I choose phone then for practical reasons, all the data info on it.
No Name
The one thing I would take on a rubber dingy would be my ring that I had made with my mums ashes inside. That is my most treasured possession because my mum was my world. The ring makes me feel that part of her is with me always. I know she is always with me in spirit but to actually be able to hold it in my hands and see it is a great comfort.
Sue
If I had to keep one object safe with me, it would be my great grandma's prayer beads. It is an immense honour to be given them & wearing them makes me feel like she is always with me. I used to wear them when I felt emotionally weak to gain strength & now I wear them all the time because not wearing them makes me feel incomplete. However these beads are always with me, so if I had to physically take something when leaving my bombed house I would take nothing. I have endured the worst moments of my life alone; I wouldn't need anything if God is with me - I'd rather be alone. Thanks!
Simran.
I would take Lammy (A soft toy baby Lamb which she has had forever close since very early childhood) because I always want him near me.
Conniepops age 6
I have 3 rings that I wear on my right hand. I would take these with me. They have a lot of sentimental value. I accumulated them over my pilgrimages and they have been with me during my most spiritual moments and touched many holy places. I am going to cheat and take something else with me (because it is always next to my rings on my desk!); I have a tiny pouch of sand from the grave of my hero, Imam Hussain. It is the holiest piece of earth on this planet, to me. I don't like to be attached to material possessions but some of the things I wear, I cannot live without because of what they remind me of.
Zam
I think this may be a majority answer, but my phone, for contacts, music, photos, compass, maps and banking.
Jon
Nothing I own is so precious, that it would be the one thing I must save, as long as my family and friends were safe and well, nothing is as important as that! ..... However, if I had to choose.... It might be my phone, because I can access so much on it, keep in touch with those who are dear to me..... But I'd be ok without it!
Possessions are not so important, memories will stay in my head forever, but there are people I couldn't face this world without!
One of my favourite sayings regarding possessions is... Removal vans don't follow hearses... You can't take it with you! But we do live in a very materialistic society!
Julia
The one object that I would take is my brothers translation of the Qur'an so I never forget who my creator is, to keep me sanity intact and through the process my family don't lose themselves too.
Safiyyah.
Rob says a Beatles songbook so we can keep our spirits up
I said my laptop as it has all our photos on and memories…
possessions aren’t as important as our family and we would survive (apart from food and drink) as long as we are all together
Katie
I used to know exactly what I would take if forced to flee. However, listening to refugees and asylum seekers I ve changed my mind. If I had the presence of mind to take anything beyond my own self and nearest and dearest with me.....it would be my birth certificate. That says who I am and where I came from. It is official. And I told that helps. Which is why I would take it.
Leaving home in that situation would remove all sense of person hood. I could imagine that I would be one person among many and feel utterly lost and alone. I guess officials (wherever we might , please God, land...) ...might doubt my story, try to catch me out as a liar. Who I was, where I came from, how old I am.....all this might just be all I have left in an uncertain time.
This question has been tough to consider. It hurts.
No name
I’d take my teddy bear now very old indeed but not quite as old as me! My dad bought it for me when I was about 4/5. Robert bear saw me through my mother’s alcoholism, her abuse of me and the nightmares I suffered. Even one night when I left the house because the bogeyman was after me and ended up out the street when the door banged shut, I still had Robert bear to cling to, as my safety belt. When I was given a holiday by our friendly lady downstairs. Robert came with me. I was 8 at the time. My dad stayed behind to work. First time I had been away from my dad and I cried a lot and felt totally bereft. Robert bear was there to comfort me. But another little girl who was younger than me liked my teddy and so our friendly neighbour gave my teddy away. I sat and cried and cried until exhausted. My friendly neighbour told me to stop being “selfish!” I sat at the end of the caravan and carried on crying. My neighbour’s son Peter told his mother: “You can’t take away a child’s teddy from her. It’s cruel and heartless.” The mother of the little girl brought my teddy back and told my neighbour never to do such a cruel thing to a child. Her daughter had enough toys. So Peter brought my teddy to me and I never ever let go of him again. My Teddy continued to be my solace throughout my childhood. Robert bear is still here next to my bed.
Annie
I remember visiting my cousins in N Ireland in the 80's during the troubles and seeing a bomb shelter for the first time. As a young girl I was scared and totally didn't understand. Now our world is full of horrific bombings...well maybe we hear of it more due to the world wide web. Wonder if these bomb shelters are ever used. Anyways embarassingly I would prob bring my smartphone which does have all my photos of loved ones on it and I could be connected to the world and it is actually waterproof! It would be horrible to be in that situation and I know many in this world are.
Have a fabulous day...thinking of you guys over there in thr midst of this Brexit situation...peace and love to you and your family!
Karyne
my wedding ring - a constant reminder of love
No Name
The question got me thinking very deeply (usually done in the shower in the morning)……and put me temporarily in the skin of a refugee. A disturbing scenario for me.
Each night I sleep with my phone by my bed, and usually my wallet at the weekend (when the door is left unlocked for late arriving teenagers).
I take three pills each morning for hypertension/cholesterol.
These are probably then the most essential things I have.
I can only take one of them…..the pills would soon run out….so my health would be in the hands of the place I could take refuge.
Many refugees are in that same vulnerable situation now……
The only thing of lasting value in my wallet would be my ID….
So would probably be my phone taken…..in the hope that I could make a connection to some network….
….but not sure how I would pay for that connection…..
So it would then just be a source of downloaded music while there is a charge in the battery.
Would the headphones and charger be 2 items too many?
So as a refugee I would soon have no thing of much value
Would have to hope I could find some treasure in my soul????
I felt highly vulnerable in that scenario – and also anger towards those who despise refugees often because they own mobile phones! It made me appreciate the blessing of my own home.
Shalom to all refugees. All are BHPs.
“We are all Earthlings” (Michael Franti)
Mark
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Thank you beautiful humans for adding to my life and many others who reflect on your own reflections.
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I will be posing a new question tomorrow - Sunday 3/7/16
If you have not participated before - I warmly challenge you to have a go.
Writing surprises us - we never know how creative we can be as we write from our soul.
Be Becoming
Pip BHP
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