When do you realize something was lacking?

Mostly, when it re-appears.
For instance, in Spring, when you organize your cupboard and move up the winter clothes - and there all of a sudden you see a long forgotten blouse, a letter, a hundred shekel bill.

What I'm finding nowadays, and has been long forgotten, is the re-appearance of Smiles.
It has taken only a few quiet months to bring those back to people's faces.

Like today, on the bus, the driver was asking people to get off at the rear door.

A senior lady rings the bell and comes to exit at the quite narrow front door.
The driver says, "Why from here, why not from the rear door?"
The lady answers, nonchalantly:
"So I could say Shalom (good-by) to you."

The driver and all of us laugh heartily. She gets off and leaves us her gift of smiles and good humour.

It took only a few months of quiet. Driver and passengers are no more tense with suppressed worry, Will we arrive home in one piece?

Sanity should be the norm. Is it now, can we be indeed content?
No.

As long as on the other side of this horrible Wall, a million and a half people of all ages are brought to lead insufferable anguish - we are still on the mouth of a volcano which might and will erupt upon us.

Our Spartan generals want us believe there is no option but endless war.
Can we overcome this brainwashing and build here a Culture of Peace and Equality for all and each human being?

I'll rather smile with a clean conscience.