The Stories of the 7 pm class...

There’s nothing more fascinating to me than people’s faces. Eyes, nose, lips, gestures, eyebrows and everything in between come together in intricate design to form a small window into a man’s essence. As I sat in my 7 pm class... (Yes, some classes run that late & Yes, I should have been paying attention to the material being discussed but hey… sometimes a gal has other things on her mind). Now where was I? 

Oh yes… As I sat in my 7 pm class, I couldn't help but look around at all my classmates. Some I knew, some I only knew by name, and some
I did not know at all. I could not help but wonder about each and everyone’s story.

You see, each face actually tells a story or reflects an ideology (Lebanese faces have at least 18 ideologies for example).  Now, imagine if you can read each face, understand every hmm, errr, and interpret every cough, wink, smile, stare and again, everything in between; you would be able to unlock the darkest, richest and most complicated black box known to man… the human soul.

What makes us unique, what sets us apart, what makes us similar even, is not our intelligence or skills. It is not our wealth or poverty. It is not physical attributes we have, or even lack. It is the story we carry within, build around us, and tell others.

Let’s think about this for a minute, shall we? If you look back at any war, peace treaty (if such a thing exists), scientific, technological, literary, or even artistic achievement humans have accomplished, it all started and ended with a story.

Mubarak's rise and fall, Leo’s Mona liza, Penicillin, PCs or MACs, T-Fords, religions of all kinds, Hitchcock’s brains,  Kadhafi's lack of brains, Fairouz’ songs and Ziad’s music, all have a story. Even Lebanon’s lack of infrastructure, yet somehow increasing growth rate has a story!

The difference between the innocent and the guilty is the story their lawyers tell, the difference between the good and the bad is the story our mothers tell; and let’s face it, the difference between the truth and a lie, is how believable the story is. Stories shape our world or bring it down... just look at Mohamed Bouazizi's story.

So here's a suggestion for you... How about, the next time you dive into your BBM, immerse yourself in the imaginary world of your Iphone, or dissolve behind your shades, look up for a minute instead? I know it’s hard to break away from that luminous screen or musical keypad, but try! Why don’t you lock eyes with the person next to you, or across from you, and smile? Then find out his or her story, tell yours or build a completely new story between the two of you. The possibilities are endless! You could be sharing your story with the future love of your life, with your future best friend, with your greatest inspiration, with your future employer or the future architect of history… imagine if any of those stories happened, what your story could be!

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