Another Sad Day for Lebanon

Three days ago, November 21st 2006, on the eve of Lebanon's 43rd Independence Day, another heinous murder took place.
Pierre Amin Gemayel, son of former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel, grandson and namesake of the founder of the Kataeb, was shot while driving his car in a Beirut suburb.
Pierre was an elected deputy of the Lebanese Parliament as well as a minister in the cabinet.
I could write and write about this, but I won't. I will just write a few lines for the diary.

I knew Pierre as a fellow spearfisher. Eight or nine years ago, he would drive to meet me in the town of Tabarja, north of Beirut, to help him rig his spear-guns.

I also knew his uncle, Bachir Gemayel, whom I had met the first time in front of the Kataeb Party's quarter in Achrafieh, Beirut, sometimes in 1973, two years before the start of the War on Lebanon, on Sunday April 13th, 1975. That day, Bachir and I had an argument about how to respond to the aggression against a party member.

Bachir would be elected President of the Lebanese Republic and then murdered in that same spot where we stood arguing, less than a decade later, on September 14th, 1982.

In all, the Gemayel have lost 5 of their children to the great Lebanese Cause.

Will I still be here for my better half?

As we were having a drink on the night of his 50th birthday, an old friend of mine told me what his 90 years old mother said to him earlier in the day.

"The first half of your life is now past you. Try your best to make better of your second chance"

That was 25 years ago. My friend is world famous jazz composer, player and big band conductor, Vic Vogel.

Today, I'm on the eve of my own 50th birthday. Only 5 months to go.

I promise I'll try even harder next half :-)