For years now, I have walked past a house at the foot of our hill where a small sign begged “Free Hamid”. I was moved enough to look up more online and discovered that my neighbour Hamid Ghassemi-Shall was in an Iranian prison and his wife was trying to get him out.
Today’s local paper headlined her success, which is great, but it left me feeling a little ashamed. Why had I not knocked on the door and offered some neighbourly support or sympathy in all those 5 years? I didn’t know the guy. Maybe that’s why, but I DID know that the Iranians had murdered Canadian Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi while they had her in prison. I knew who the bad guys were.
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Enough people knock on our doors – just imagine how refreshing it would be if one of them just wanted to say ‘Good luck’ or ‘I’m rooting for you’. Tradition had neighbours bringing food & casseroles to help get through troubled times, I should have brought my banana cranberry loaf. All kidding aside I am proud that Amid lives in our neighbourhood and am happy and relieved that he is coming home. I admire his wife and would like to think that I would react exactly the same if I was in her situation but somehow I doubt it!
Having discussed my comment with Bill I have to clarify that I didn’t mean I would not give a good fight for you dear Bill…I want you home because getting back into the dating scene would be hell!
Glad you clarified that, my dear. Still I think I’ll stay away from Iran and save you the trouble.