Life in the Desert

The Green Green Grass of Home

I was in the car, on the way to the airport for a visit home to Wales. In my mind I was thinking of how struck we had been by the sparse desertedness (I know it's not a word) of the desert. In Wales we have a saying "The green green grass of home," and it has been one of the things we've really missed. Everything surrounding us is sand coloured. The bright yellow of the sun bounces off the sand all around us, the dusty roads, the sand coloured buildings. We have been longing to see that luscious expanse of green green grass.

In the few weeks before returning home we have experienced a few showers of rain, and by showers I mean, a few sprinklings, along with one day of proper, heavy "It's raining cats and dogs" rain. Only one day of proper rain in 9 months!

It's funny, Despite how much you miss the rain, after a few days being home in Wales we were quite happy for it to stop now! and as for the green green grass of home, our back garden was more of a bog from the excessive rain the UK has had this Summer/Autumn and Winter!

The view from our roof Al Zarqa

Anyway, back to what I wanted to write about... 

In the car on the way to the airport something struck me! Most of the time Jordan looks pretty barren, especially where we live in Zarqa.  There are olive trees and some plants in people's gardens, but the horizon is sand, the plots of unused land around us are dry and lifeless. When a land is so dry and seemingly lifeless, it's seemingly impossible that any life could ever come of it. But with just a few drops of rain, a few days of brief showers and life finds its own way. Small blades of grass sprout up in random patches. The first time we saw this Lilian leapt for joy. Life brings life. The seemingly hopeless has a potential which isn't visible to the naked eye.

Author: A.E.