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Stranger Danger Rule #1: Don’t talk to strangers.
Stranger Danger Rule #2: Don’t accept candy from strangers.
Stranger Danger Rule #3: Don’t let strangers take your picture.
Well, all bets are off in Hiroshima. The town is disarmingly safe I guess. So safe that while my roomie and I were just sitting peacefully in the park, we managed to be approached by creepy, old photo guy and not only took the candy he offered (mothers everywhere, don’t worry, we didn’t eat it), and then agreed to pose for photos. And then he wouldn’t leave. And so I took his picture, just in case he did something creepy. About 5 minutes later we were like “what the hell was that all about?”, “why did we do that?”, and “Oh my God, we’re going to have our faces attached to dirty pictures on the internet!”, and “Oh my God, what if some people come to kidnap us later by using our photos to find us!”
While taking time out from my stranger danger photo shoot in Hiroshima, I checked out the Hiroshima War Museum and the Peace Park. Initially, I was expecting Hiroshima to be a very depressing experience. In contrast, it makes you feel hopeful about the world, and peace, and the ability of the human heart to forgive. During our tour of the museum we met an elderly woman who survived Hiroshima, and it was amazing to meet her. I visited Pearl Harbor last spring, and was expecting Hiroshima to be on a similar level. And while I agree Pearl Harbor was horrible and devastating for America, it was also a war, while the A-Bomb at Hiroshima was disgusting. I’ve never cried in a museum before. It’s amazing the healing and forgiveness that comes with a new generation.
