Lahore lives on

Lahore lives on
Originally uploaded by Gemintheeye

Following the attack on the Rescue 15 center near the Mall-the shattered windows, the lost lives, shaken confidences, genuine bravery and heartfeeling--past all that and more--

Lahore lives on.
This picture is special--due its ordinariness--a glimpse of the city from a moving car.
I will not lie to you, it is hard to articulate the mix of dread and confusion that gathers into a lump in my throat everytime there is news of a bomb blast. Prior to the increased frequency of such incidents in Pakistan, especially urban Pakistan, it was an event far-removed from our reality.

But now, it puts into play all sorts of questions--about survival, about the extent of 'hate', the lack of humanity, the definition of 'right' and 'wrong'--all this and more.

Where is this post going? Frankly, I do not know. As Pakistanis, this question raises another one--Where is Pakistan going?

There is a significant part of me that believes we can work things out, we can use the potentially awe-inspiring combination of our hearts and brains--and rise to the challenge.

(For all you cynics out there--which includes me at-times--this post was sponsored by HOPE)