Nous Devons Vivre: Life Happens When You’re in Airplane Mode

I snapped this sunset photo (below) upon arrival yesterday in Dallas from Denver before I turned off Airplane Mode, having no idea what transpired in Paris as I was in the air.  I was struck by how big the sun looked and encouraged for the lighthearted rendezvous of a weekend I have planned with an old friend.

sunsetDFW

DFW airport was quiet and calm; there was no indication of the violent theatre of terrorism playing out seven time zones away. Busy coordinating airport pick-up and conversationally catching up after months, it wasn’t until we arrived at a hoppin’ restaurant and saw CNN on a big screen that we learned of the attacks.

So what do we do when acts of terrorism take the lives of innocent people: excited concert-goers, happy couples out for dinner, random pedestrians — just like us? It seems strange to mingle with a crowd of sexy young professionals, eavesdropping on “y’alls” and chatting with passers-by about yes, the Pizza Bianca is delicious. But my friend and I checked with those we know who might have been affected, and then, well, we went about the enjoyable Friday night we had planned.

Unless you personally have the ideas and network to take down ISIS, it serves no purpose to sit at home in reaction to these kind of atrocities. We must live, nous devons vivre.

Although these attacks in Paris were a shock to absorb last night, they are not an overall surprise to anyone who consumes world news. To me, that’s part of living and living well, paying attention to what’s going on beyond our local circles. Yesterday, it was Paris. Let’s not wait to see when it will again be on U.S. soil.

Scores of Parisian residents and visitors unwittingly gave their lives yesterday to a cause which we must face, which is the need to make this world a safer place by stopping ISIS and other terrorist organizations. We must support world leaders who support this cause and stand up to the ones who previously have not. We must not let them take away further lives and liberties. Nous devons vivre.


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