What if it had been you?

I, like the person who posted this, saw this pop up in my news feed and felt the need to share it here.
Translated from the original Norwegian post.


What if it had been you?

08/21/2015 - 9:34 p.m.

It's not often I call friends to ask if I can publish their Facebook status as a blog post, but when I saw this pop up in my newsfeed today, I realised immediately that this had to be shared with a wider audience.

It is my good friend Oliver who has written this great text, which is simply a beautiful symphony of emotions and gratitude, compassion and love, sadness and contemplation. Political or not - this is fantastically written.

"Look at this picture. The one just below the advertisement for cheap industrial meat and fish.

Translation: Police use tear gas on refugees.
Via vg.no. Original article (in Norwegain)

  

It looks like a dad holding a son. Such a dad who could just as easily have been me, if I had not won first prize in the lottery of life and ended up here in safe, marvellous Norway. A dad who is desperate.

With his child in his arms, held back by a powerful person. Excluded by other powerful people - those with batons and shields and carbon kneepads and teargas. Just in case a desperate dad would try to squeeze past. Or bite, or scratch or hit or kick or whatever the fuck – just to get his kid to safety. One who could have been any one of us. Could have been me.

This picture has affected on my Friday night. Soon, I'll get my boys from kindergarten and after-school-club. Then we’ll eat tacos with Mimmi and Bess. Read a little more of the adventure story at bedtime, a hug and a scruffing up of the hair, like we do - and I have a really good, cold beer in the fridge to enjoy when the rest of the house is asleep, safe in their bed, while dad watches over the house.

While another dad, just a few hours flight away, literally fights for his life. With his child in his arms. Tonight and tomorrow, and every day - until he breaks or succeeds. Just as I would have done.

If we can not, one of the world's safest, richest and most plentiful countries, offer help - then we are so rotten to the core and damned that I am ashamed to be Norwegian.

Look at that picture. And imagine if it had been you.

It’s election time soon, by the way. 

 

P.S. I think this is an incredibly nice text for reflection, on the way into yet another weekend here in one of the richest and best countries to live in, but I do not want to turn it into a political debate. Just think about it. What if it had been you?"

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