Sunday, January 25, 2009

Things not lost in translation

Today I went to the Peace Park and Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. While there have been many details that I have missed on this trip because I do not speak the language, there were other things I experienced today that needed no words. For example, no words were needed to comprehend the horror that faced all those in Hiroshima that dreaded day. Images, documentaries, and movies traced the despair and destruction that thousands of people faced when the US dropped the atomic bomb. Looking at the charred bodies of victims with skin peeling, the outlines of bodies vaporized by the blasts, and twisted building remains... those images alone were enough to convict me that war is never worth the cost.

Again I was struck that emotions can transcend language in an interaction in a deserted gallery room. After looking through the entire museum with my 7 friends, I went downstairs to look in 2 galleries that were not a part of the main building. Both rooms were empty except for an old Japanese man. The two of us walked around, looking at photographs of the destruction and examining artifacts from the disaster. After a bit I stumbled across two newspapers-- one from NY, one from Britain. Both described the dropping of the atomic bomb. As I read the two descriptions that referred to the A bomb as "a giant golf-ball" and "a victory," I was overcome with emotion. I could not stop the tears from flowing as I realized how easy it was to minimize the suffering of others. As I stood in front of this display, silently weeping, the old Japanese man walked up to me. He looked at me straight in the eyes and quietly spoke. I have no idea what he told me, but I know he spoke of peace. All I could muster up was a meager, "I'm sorry." But I know I did not even need that. In the moment our eyes locked I knew, despite the language barrier, that both of us were committed to doing whatever we can to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring ever again.

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