Julian Salvatore
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Hello, beloved world.
To those who read these lines, thank you.
Passionate about the arts, travel, and life, I share visions and emotions through stories and articles.
Stories (2)
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Forgiveness? To do what?
Forgiveness? What is the purpose of it? And above all, what does it mean? For years, the word "forgive" was a word that I didn't understand, that I didn't like. It horrified me. For a long time, I associated this word and this concept with a form of cowardice and injustice. I thought that it allowed people who had hurt us to get away with it and even to do it again. And that it represented a gesture of kindness on the part of the victim towards someone who didn't deserve it, and who moreover, often didn't even take the step of asking for forgiveness for the harm he or she had done. I have often thought that this was something useless, and even dangerous for oneself. Because it left us defenseless against potential aggressors and enemies. I heard everywhere and all the time that it was necessary to forgive. So I tried to understand why it was repeated over and over again in many philosophical, spiritual, and religious systems, in books, in the media, in movies. Even the people I met in my life were saying that we should not hold grudges against those who had hurt, betrayed, or humiliated us. So yes, I was told, mechanically it seemed, that God loves those who forgive, that Jesus invited us to turn the other cheek. But I was never told why I should forgive, and also what benefit I would get from it. This lack of a coherent explanation made me even more reluctant. Clearly, to turn the other cheek meant for me to sign one's death warrant and to invite all the unjust of the earth to trample us. It was like carrying a sign that instead of saying "free hugs", would say "free punches". Another striking inconsistency was that very often, not to say almost systematically, those who extolled the virtues of forgiveness did not seem to live by these sacred rules when they found themselves cheated or offended. Had they too been influenced by this doctrine without rational basis or explanation? I even came to consider this morality, although it had noble intentions, but was devoid of pedagogy, as propaganda bordering on the absurd. Instead of calming me down, these words had the opposite effect and increased my anger when I heard them.
By Julian Salvatore4 years ago in Humans
BAY OF VENGEANCE
The rays of the rising sun reflected on the dazzling tiles of the large elevated terrace that was facing the bay of San Francisco. Passing through the half-opened glazed door, they irradiated the white walls and designer pieces of furniture of the sleeping room with a delicate spring warmth, giving them in places yellow and cream shades. From the terrace, you could see the harbor with all these berthed yachts, the lighthouse as well. Orienting the glance to the right, you could see the island of Alcatraz barely two miles away. And everywhere the blue, form the sky to the ocean, pure and light, omnipresent. The house was on Marina Boulevard, in the Marina district, one of the wealthiest of the city. It was a modern house. Its architecture was radical. Its cubic shape and its general structure had very sharp angles. It was built a decade ago, during the early eighties. Because yes, we were in 1989, a Saturday of May more precisely. On the first floor, in the bedroom, the landlords, Alan and Claire Anderson were sleeping snuggled together. They were young, handsome, blonde, and tanned. They looked like fitness magazines models. The radio-alarm clock was displaying 5:55 AM. But no need for ringing. Both perfectly coordinated woke up simultaneously. Alan was behind Claire. Keeping the same position, he caressed her long hair and kissed her neck softly. After a few minutes like this without moving, they got up at the very same time. Always as synchronous in their moves, and with saying a single word, they entered the bathroom and faced the double washbasin, perfectly choreographed, they washed their faces and brushed their teeth. This being done, they put on their sportswear, got outside the house, and after a few brief stretches and without forgetting to start their stopwatch, started running.
By Julian Salvatore4 years ago in Fiction
