Scars of the Past

Did you know that Jesus performed His first miracle in Lebanon? That’s right—the wedding at Cana (spelled Qana here). Did you know that Lebanon is the home to 3,000-year-old Cedar trees? Yes, they were here when Jesus was. Did you know that there is a 13th-century crusader castle here, or that Lebanon is home to the second-longest continuously inhabited city (7,000 years old)? For the next few months, I’m living a modern life in an ancient world.

We are staying in Tony’s uncle’s place, and sometimes I like to work on one of the balconies to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The balcony has glass panes (see the image below), and in one, there is a bullet hole from the civil war.

Right where I’m living, there is a mark of the past. History from 50 years ago has left scars. Near Martyrs Square in Beirut, the wall is lined with the faces of those who were lost in the August 4 blast two years ago. Things have been built up a lot since then, but the port and these images stay as reminders.

The history around me reminds me a bit of the history I saw in Boston. In 2019, Tony lived in Boston for a summer internship, and I drove down (yes, the whole 6ish hours of it by myself) every other Saturday to spend the day with him. We usually explored Boston’s hidden gems and the places the locals went. On our last trip to Boston in the fall of 2021, we finally decided to be tourists and do a Duck Tour. The Duck Tour is a bus tour around Boston that takes you both on the streets and on the waters of the Charles River. Our driver shared how Paul Revere rode down the street on which we drove and showed us where several former presidents were buried.

I was baffled when I realized that the ground beneath my feet was the same that my forefathers walked. I then thought about the history right in my hometown. Just around the corner of my first apartment was the Schuyler Mansion where Alexander Hamilton lived.

Wherever we are, the past has left her mark—and as life keeps moving, history is being made.