As I became older, Salaam Ajami’s store faded from my memory.. and the shopping avenue we lived on in Tyre became larger and more modern, we started going to more expanded shops that were not a tiny corner like Salaam’s but also had fine quality clothing and the kindest people like the Hachem’s (Em Hassan and Abo Hassan)… now that I think about it, all the memorable shop owners had one thing in common; extreme generosity and kindness.
When I watched myself talk about the transition period between leaving my home country Lebanon, and moving to the US, I could hear my voice choking in the background... All of a sudden, you are no longer under mom and dad's wings, surrounded by their love, and protected by their system... All of a sudden, it is you, yourself, and you. Most and if not every immigrant would have a special memory for the time when they first moved to a new country. The moment where home starts to get a new definition. The moment where the American Dream turns into the American Reality! In the beginning of that period, it is incredibly foggy, busy, noisy, and genuinely painful. It...
