This past week was exciting for me. After offering a hand (or two) at
Epiphany's
National Night Out event on Tuesday, I thought that I'd enjoy a moment attending
a peaceful event at the
Missouri Botanical Garden on Wednesday.
Wednesday was the 63rd anniversary of the dropping of "
Little Boy" on Hiroshima, while today is the 63rd anniversary of "
Fat Man" being dropped on Nagasaki. Twenty-three years ago (on the 40th anniversary), I attended a kabuki-style theatre re-enactment of the reaction of civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
That had been the first time that I had given any thought to "the flip side of the equation" of nuking fellow humans. Somehow, that part of the equation had been omitted from all of my history lessons.
I remember crying as I sat, outside, in the audience of that performance. It was the first time that I had experienced the kabuki art form. No dialog had been necessary for the re-enactment. The facial expressions, highlighted by the chalky-white makeup, had been more than sufficient to communicate the pain and agony which was inflicted on that fateful day. The images remain just as clear in my mind today as if I had watched the show this past week instead of 23 years ago.
So, when I received an invitation to attend a memorial in the Japanese Garden (of the Missouri Botanical Garden), I was eager to attend. I made sure to arrive early so that I could take in the whole of the venue before joining the group in the Japanese Garden.
The first highlight of my excursion was the
Climatron Observatory. Once I entered, I lost all track of time as I enjoyed the tropical temperature while examining many varieties of palms, grasses and other plants which reminded me of my years in Hawai`i (and of my visits to Belize and the Philippines).
The landscaping within the Observatory was impeccable. Rocks (both real and artificial) were laid in natural-looking formations to provide backdrops to the plants -- and birds -- which were on display. Series of plaques were educational and informative -- how a fallen tree is used by its neighbors in a rainforest... for example.
As I neared the end of my journey within the Observatory, I realized that hours had passed me by! I scurried to find the Japanese Garden section of the Botanical Garden. This is when it occurred to me that I had forgotten my invitation in my vehicle. So, I'd just have to hope that I could find the spot where everyone was to convene.
A gentleman approached me to ask if I was there for the gathering. "Yes," I had told him, "but I am not quite sure where it is."
"Me, neither," he replied. And on his way he went... which had appeared to me that he was heading back to the main path of the Garden.
I kept walking... not seeing any large groups... and wondering whether I might have been mistaken about the location. Surely, there should be a large gathering by now... it was about 5:30 p.m. The event was supposed to start at 5:45.
I turned to glance back towards the direction from whence I had come... to see another soul who looked like he may be looking for the event. This gentleman was carrying some sacks in one hand and a folding chair in his other.
"Are you here for the observance?" I asked him.
"Yes, where are they?" he returned.
"I'm not sure," I said as I glanced forward again.
About that time, a woman appeared asking us if we were looking for the event. We replied that we were and she told us that it had been re-located to be nearer the stage where a summer concert was to take place later in the evening.
The two of us proceeded to walk toward the stage as we engaged in conversation. After some more confusion (the group was *not* nearby the stage), we returned to the Japanese Garden where, to be sure, a group was gathered and a speaker had already begun talking.
As I listened, I realized that I had made a mistake. More than commemorating the dropping of nuclear bombs onto Japanese cities, this was an anti-war rally... to be precise, it was an anti-Iran war rally...
Well, it's a good cause, I suppose. But I had not intended on coming to such an event. In my mind's eye, I was going to spend a moment reflecting on the 250,000 people who were killed at the hands of a nuclear bomb which had been dropped 63 years ago. I suppose that, since there was no Iran Garden present, this was the next-best place to hold a "peace" rally, though... and on the anniversary date of "Little Boy."
The speaker was spending quite a bit of time passing around photos... photos of events which could be posted in an album entitled "A Day in the Life of Iran." I was bored... I could surf the net and see such photos... I decided to go on toward the seating area of the stage where I could prepare for the concert...
My new friend accompanied me... I told him, "that was disappointing."
"Someone should have taken charge," he replied.
We returned to the spot where we had left our bags... the crowd here was growing and growing... there were lots of people sharing chocolate. (It had been rumored -- on the invitation -- that the more chocolate which was brought, the closer we'd get to world peace! <g>)
The concert was excellent. According to the website, the performers were Laytham & Holmes. They performed a wide array of sounds -- and the audience was quite nice. People kept coming around with treats... and the sharing and caring was remarkable.
I thought to myself... "If it were possible to have worldwide peace, this is how it would feel. Humans caring and sharing with each other. Now, where'd that chocolate go?? LOL!"
