WHEN WORDS ARE NOT USELESS
Spanish Bookcrossers want to show their gratitude
by YagoBCNMarch 18, 2004
I feel impotent. I’m facing a blank screen, trying to put in order so many feelings and images of death, pain and anger that even my fingers tremble over the keyboard. The heavy weight of reality has sunk our souls so deeply that I simply don’t feel able
to lift them with the fragile ropes of words. And that’s the only thing that seems to be clear in my head so far: words are not enough. Most of us spend our lives thinking they are powerful. As readers, we assume words are able to convey a whole range of human
emotions and to reach our souls making us laugh, cry or shiver with fear. Still, when something like the recent Madrid terrorist attacks happen, they seem useless.
Horror struck us hard, dried up our throats and filled our eyes with tears. Two hundred people died; all their dreams, illusions and feelings shattered. And with them, a part of ourselves died as well. We couldn’t believe something so obnoxious could happen again and so brutally. Spain has been bearing the curse of terrorism in the last decades, but that doesn’t mean we can get accostumed to it. You can’t get used to insanity.
After the blasts, the whole country was in state of shock. We felt weaker and more horrified that ever, but we tried our best to cope, to help in any way possible, giving blood, helping the victims, calling friends and relatives just to let them know that we were safe . . . All of us were deeply wounded. And above all, speechless. Despite that, some of us wanted to share our pain with thousands of Bookcrossers. And you answered. Oh my God, how did you answer!
People from all over the world posted their messages of grief, support and sympathy. Those who are religious added us to their prayers. Everyone sent warm thoughts and made our mourning theirs through several threads in the Forums. Some remembered the tragedy of the 9-11, or the bombings in Bali, or their last trip to Spain . . . And what’s more important, every single message was full of grief and love. After a few hours, dozens of Bookcrossers decided to change their profile pic showing a black ribbon. And you’re still doing it. It doesn’t matter where you are from, it doesn’t matter at all if you have never known any Spaniard or if you’re not able to point Madrid in a map. You know we’re in pain. And you want us to know we are not alone, because the only way to soothe the pain is sharing it.
All the Spanish Bookcrossers thank you for that from the bottom of our hearts. We are, again, speechless, but this time, for a good reason. In the dark days we’re going through, your support brought a little bit of light. And now I realize that this light wouldn’t have reached us if it wasn’t for the words. The words, which I thought had lost their power, travelled through the wires to let the world know that we’re mourning, that we’re not alone and that we don’t want it to happen ever again. Never. Anywhere.
So words are not useless after all. And I’m happy for that.
Thank you so much, in the name of all Spanish Bookcrossers.
Horror struck us hard, dried up our throats and filled our eyes with tears. Two hundred people died; all their dreams, illusions and feelings shattered. And with them, a part of ourselves died as well. We couldn’t believe something so obnoxious could happen again and so brutally. Spain has been bearing the curse of terrorism in the last decades, but that doesn’t mean we can get accostumed to it. You can’t get used to insanity.
After the blasts, the whole country was in state of shock. We felt weaker and more horrified that ever, but we tried our best to cope, to help in any way possible, giving blood, helping the victims, calling friends and relatives just to let them know that we were safe . . . All of us were deeply wounded. And above all, speechless. Despite that, some of us wanted to share our pain with thousands of Bookcrossers. And you answered. Oh my God, how did you answer!
People from all over the world posted their messages of grief, support and sympathy. Those who are religious added us to their prayers. Everyone sent warm thoughts and made our mourning theirs through several threads in the Forums. Some remembered the tragedy of the 9-11, or the bombings in Bali, or their last trip to Spain . . . And what’s more important, every single message was full of grief and love. After a few hours, dozens of Bookcrossers decided to change their profile pic showing a black ribbon. And you’re still doing it. It doesn’t matter where you are from, it doesn’t matter at all if you have never known any Spaniard or if you’re not able to point Madrid in a map. You know we’re in pain. And you want us to know we are not alone, because the only way to soothe the pain is sharing it.
All the Spanish Bookcrossers thank you for that from the bottom of our hearts. We are, again, speechless, but this time, for a good reason. In the dark days we’re going through, your support brought a little bit of light. And now I realize that this light wouldn’t have reached us if it wasn’t for the words. The words, which I thought had lost their power, travelled through the wires to let the world know that we’re mourning, that we’re not alone and that we don’t want it to happen ever again. Never. Anywhere.
So words are not useless after all. And I’m happy for that.
Thank you so much, in the name of all Spanish Bookcrossers.
