It's lovely outside; the temperature is perfect, the sun is shining his shine but not glaring his glare, the wind is only slightly too strong to be called a breeze. Even I was impressed--and I'm never as impressed by weather as most people. Everyone I know seems to enjoy doing things outside when the weather is nice, but the most I'll usually do specifically because of the weather is meander around for fifteen or twenty minutes. It's not much but it's something, and making that jump from nothing to something is much more important than making the jump from something to one hundred or one thousand somethings. So I'm quite content with that something. And I rather like being contented for short periods of time.

While I was meandering I saw Taleen. She went to high school with me, and was one of two Armenians I knew. I'm pretty sure she didn't recognize me so I grinned broadly as I do when I find something funny but others probably cannot or will not. In return, she gave me an awkward smiling grimace. I think I remember reading in the Daily Texan, in an article on Hrant Dink (the murdered Armenian-Turkish journalist), that Taleen headed some sort of Armenian organization, and that they joined in with some Turkish organization to condemn the killing or mourn Dink or something. Which is really cool. Considering the history between Turks and Armenians (and all former pieces of the Ottoman Empire), it seems really important and nifty to see them getting together. And considering the general wrath that the Turkish and Armenian diasporas have for each other, it's even more important and nifty.

I remember I only met Taleen in our junior year, when she asked me in our history class if I'd heard of the Armenian Genocide. I hadn't. She then went on to explain that the day that Armenians commemorated it was coming up and that it was important that I knew about it. I can't remember the substance of all she said, but I do remember how piercingly awkward it was to suddenly learn that your people have been accused of genocide against another, and to have that information relayed to you by a descendent of the victims. To this day I don't know what to believe; ethnic cleansing and pogroms were very common back in the old days wherever you went, and it's difficult to imagine that there was a one-sided conspiracy to destroy the Armenian people when neither side was particularly strong, both sides were responsible for grave atrocities and the stronger side was fighting the losing end of a war. Chances are that Armenians got the shorter end of the stick (they certainly did when it came time for them to get territory later on). It might constitute genocide. It definitely means the issue should be redressed. But it never excuses that visceral hatred that some Armenians feel for us. Onward with the important and nifty expressions of unity wherever unity can be found. We've been on opposite sides for too long.