People

The banner above I found in a Jamaican bar at a beach in Kingston about 10 years ago.

Although I instinctively agreed with its message already then and still think it is generally true and important, I know that it only contains one aspect of life and us as being part of the human species.

When, a few days ago, I heard in the news that people have started to rebuild the Syrian city Aleppo again after more than 50 percent of it had been destroyed, the statement came to my mind for another time.

Neither did I experience the second world war by myself - I was born more than a decade after its end - nor have I ever lived in a country which was directly hit by war. Still, I have always been strongly affected by the sight of destroyed cities in the media.

First as a child: Dresden, Coventry, Leningrad.
Later: Grozny, Sarajevo, Baghdad.
And now Aleppo.
First totally destroyed. Then rebuilt again.
Destroyed by people. Rebuilt by people.

What a strange species we are!
Once we walk in beautiful parks, hang out on beaches, shop in fancy malls, stroll over old market places, visit theaters, cinemas, concerts, museums,... live.
Then we climb into fighter jets, throw bombs on cities,... kill.

Of course you can ask: Who is we? Are we really all the same? Are you even different from the rest of us or them?
No one is! Not even you! Not even I!
We are all people.

People kill, eat, drink, love, hate… Everything at its own time. Everything at the same time.
People seek other people’s company or are in each other’s way.
People accept things. People oppose things.
People are cowards. People are brave.
People make the distinctions among all these things.
People explain. People justify.
People condemn. People praise… Everything at its own time. Everything at the same time.

Would it help our planet and us as a species if we continuously thought about what strange creatures we are?
Or at least from time to time?
Or at least once?

Maybe it would.