Here Salgado has photographed the refugees from the Bihac pocket while they are waiting for mail. Once a week the Red Cross delivered mail to hundreds of people that were waiting to hear from relatives and friends. Through the barbed wire you can see their solemn faces. They have experienced pain and despair but they keep their optimism. They wait at the fence every week in hopes that someone they know is well and concerned for them. It is amazing how much a simple note can mean after so many traumas. We often take for granted the simple conveniences of e-mail and instant messaging. We can communicate with anyone in the world in a matter of seconds. We can even see pictures or watch video of each other. All the refugees want is to hear from those they love, but it is the one thing that many of them can’t have.
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Sebastiao Salgado. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition [Children Today: Men and Women of the New Century]". Legends Online. PDN and Kodak Professional. Web. ND. 17 March 2010
I personally love getting mail! There is no better feeling than opening the mailbox and seeing an envelope with my name on it! Someone loves me! If I enjoy getting mail this much when I hear from family and friends daily through instant means of messaging, I can't even imagine the joy it must bring to get mail from a loved one who you weren't even sure was still alive. In the book Left to Tell, the letter from her brother was one of the things that kept Immaculee going and helped her realize his love for her. This makes me want to write a note to my loved ones and make them realize how much they mean to me. Thanks for this post! It added an insight that I had never really thought about before.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy that we take such simple things for granted!!! It seems to me that air mail is hardly used anymore. We use our technology to communicate at all. I can't imagine how much a letter would mean in their situation. Just even a short little note saying that their family was alive and safe would be enough. Crazy that i get mad when i don't get a text message when these people wait for hours just to know that everything is ok with their loved ones. We are so fortunate to have the things we do and yet we complain so much about our lives. We should step back sometimes and realize what we do have and be grateful.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with what you said. Here are people who have been through so much trauma and haven't been able to talk to their families in a long time. I can't imagine not having any means of communication, especially in such a difficult time. I can't seem to function even when I forget my cellphone at my friend's house for a day!
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