WMF's Balcony. June 2020
How did I make it through the worst of the COVID lockdowns?
Luckily, in Duhok, Iraq there were very few lockdowns as in "don't go outside of your home" (although we did have a few of two to three days each). Kurds aren't easily cooped up - nor am I. Most of the lockdowns were about businesses being closed except for designated supermarkets. Most fortunately, one of the biggest in the city was a short walk from my place, so I was better off than others. In fact, it never shut down the whole pandemic and, since it was my local market, even when it was "closed to individual shoppers" they let me inside because everyone knew me. Kurds are extremely gracious people and consummate rule breakers which can really work in ones favor.
My Kindle Paperwhite helped me in the worst days as did my extensive YouTube playlists (except when the fickle internet would go off unexplainedly for a few hours).
However, all other things paled in comparison to walking across town to WMF's place and sitting on the small balcony outside his bedroom to look out over the city and just ponder the state of things. We only ever drank tea or on special occasions some red wine and ate simple snacks that his Mom made us. Mostly, it was just having the company of someone who was a friend and who cared. Luckily for me, WMF had been through so much worse life stuff - like the American invasion of Iraq and ISIS overrunning his town - the pandemic for him was little more than a blip. There I was, nearing 60, being comforted by someone in their mid-20s about the state of the world. I really do think we meet people at the right time in life.
The early days of the lockdowns were springtime and I was taking long walks on the flank of Zawa Mountain [see: Zawa Mountain]. When I was up on Zawa I often tried to find my building and WMF's too. I usually came to his place in the late afternoon and I would point out on the distant mountain ridge where I had climbed/hiked that day. Viewing Zawa from his balcony made me realize how huge that mountain ridge was and how very little of it I was actually climbing on.
I arrived late afternoon and stayed till just before sunset. I didn't like to walk home at night (even though Duhok was extremely safe). The streets were just so vacant and it felt creepy walking home in the dark alone in the pandemic-emptied city. Due to my timing, we usually were looking out at Zawa Mountain bathed in glorious late afternoon sun every visit. I never grew tired of that view. Duhok might have lacked in some things, but good mountain views in the late afternoon? It had those in abundance.
I owe a "life debt" to WMF. I honestly might not have survived those six months in Duhok without his friendship and companionship. Although he probably would have been just fine on his own, I am not confident I would have come through it as well as I did without him and his life experiences to call upon.