It’s well known that as we get older, time seems to pass faster. The explanation’s given in The Brain That Changes Itself. (Yes, I’m learning much from that book.) Essentially when we’re young and our brain memory banks are fairly empty, experiences flood in and gradually fill them up. Then as we age and our memory banks fill, there’s less free space for new memories and so (subconsciously) we’re choosier about what we remember. So to me as an old guy, the last three years have flashed by. Not so, I’m certain, for Gilad Shalit (pictured). Hamas kidnapped him three years ago today. Three years; 1,096 six days; 26,304 hours; 1,578,240 minutes; 94,694,400 seconds. I think of him often. I wonder what conditions he’s being kept under. What food he eats. What he does all day. What he thinks about. And how his parents cope. I couldn't bear not seeing any of my children for three years, let alone if they were held incommunicado by an inhuman terrorist mob. Last Thursday the Red Cross issued this statement. But to no avail, judging by this response from Hamas. However things are changing in the Middle East, e.g. Hezbollah’s unexpected Lebanese election loss; and the Iranian post-election protests. Israeli news sources believe Hamas is softening its demands for Shalit’s release. I’ve mentioned Shalit in three previous posts [1, 2, 3]. I wish and hope his next mention will be about his release. And that it’ll be soon.
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According to this article in the Jerusalem Post two days ago, things are looking brighter. But the Israeli government, rightly I think, wants to keep it low key for the time being, so as not to falsely raise hopes. I continue to hope.
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