Following the daily tribulations of Egypt

I have been following the daily trials and tribulations of Egypt, jockeying between CNN, the NYTimes, and streaming Al Jazeera, stunned to see the streets that I was just walking along a few weeks ago, now filled with the hope and passion of the people.

Tribulation is defined as: distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution, and derives from the Latin tribulare to press, oppress.

Very intentionally I titled this post "... OF Egypt" instead of "IN Egypt" because it is the people that make a country, not the government, not the constitution, nor the recognition or description of other "states" that make it so.

Egypt herself, each of the 85 million people that make up her whole, are being repressed, oppressed by the hands of a few.

My heart beats more rapidly for the people of Egypt, and my eyes weep at the images of so many gathered in solidarity, taking to the streets, to reclaim their identity and to stand together to say, "WE ARE EGYPT!"

Considering almost a quarter of the population lives in the incredibly bustling city of Cairo, the Egyptians can handle chaos. It's the repression of the elitist regime that is doing them in.

Here is a video shot by my friend Chris on January 1 of this year, when we were in Egypt to celebrate my birthday. It shows how easily people jostle and flow around the insanity of the construction happening in the main transportation terminal, Ramses Train Station.

I do not mean to belittle the painful and difficult events taking place on the streets of Cairo by comparing it to a peaceful day at the train station. I show it as encouragement that the people of Egypt are strong and resilient, and once the violent oppression is lifted, they will surely flourish.

Note the dizzying array of construction going on, while the people very easily and casually navigate the chaos.