The Lights On The Pier

      Available on Amazon:    
     "Equal And Opposite Reactions"      http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
     "Hail Mary"                                           https://www.amzn.com/1684334888
     "Tropical Depression"                        https://www.amzn.com/B0BTPN7NYY

​The Lights On The Pier

       One balmy Sunday evening during Tom's and my recent visit to Los Angeles to visit our daughter and her family (see previous post, https://www.ailantha.com/blog/goodbye-to-la) I suggested to  my daughter that it would be nice to drive into nearby Manhattan Beach and take a walk along the Strand, a walking and biking path that runs for 22 miles along the Southern California coastline, passing along its way  Manhattan Beach and the Manhattan Beach pier.

      On this night the lights gave the Strand a magical glow.

     Off in the distance the Manhattan Beach Pier was lit with festive holiday lights.

     As we approached the pier, my daughter pointed out to me that the lamp post lights along the pier, which were normally white, had been changed to blue and white this year for Hanukkah and in support of Israel. 

     I liked the idea of acknowledging both holidays, as I believe that life is better in a world that's diverse and inclusive.     ​

     We joined the crowds on the pier to look at the lights, and after taking in the panorama, it occurred to me:

​      While the blue and white globes represent the colors of the Israeli flag,

...this Christmas tree, a symbol of Christianity, was, against the night sky,  green, red, white and  black,

...which are the colors of the Palestinian flag.

        I'm sure there are any number of metaphors that could be derived from the colors of those lovely lights twinkling over the pier. ​

       As for me,  the lights tugged at my heart and all I could think of were the words of a Stephen Foster Song:                                                   
​                                    Why should the innocent ever weep? 
                                    Why should the innocent die?