Bomb explosions and beautiful homes

A little while ago, there was a sudden strange bang at the window. Instinctively, I associated it with another sound I had heard last year which had been bigger with much more force; when there had been a huge bomb blast on Mall Road, quite far away, a suicide bombing with a truck full of explosives that had blown away Intelligence headquarters.

That had been a far off thud, a feeling that somewhere had been a very very loud explosion,and then a feeling as if an invisible force had collided hard against the window, (I thought a football might have been kicked hard straight at my window) and then complete silence while the sun continued to shine in a bright blue sky. At that time I knew I had never heard something like it, and this was a similar sound though much less force.

I was worried again.
I opened the blinds, and everything seemed the same.

A colleague right near me did not notice busy with his photocopying, and as I stepped out and asked a few others near windows if they had heard or felt anything, ("Was there a bang at the window here?" to puzzled looks) I relaxed when they had not. I did not want to alarm them. Then twenty minutes later I heard that there has indeed been an explosion on Mall Road. It is far away, and my colleagues are amazed I felt it.

Guess what I am doing?
After an initial prayer and thankfulness for our safety, and a call home to ask my family to stay home for the day, I want to go straight back to checking out beautiful relaxing photos of beautiful homes as a slight head and ear ache comes on, just pyschological as the sound echoes in my mind.

Why??

I have asked myself this before.

Afterall there is a huge crisis in the country, - a war in the scenic northern areas of Pakistan as the army finally moves into areas terrorized by militants distorting Islam’s teachings, causing a huge wave of nearly 2 million people fleeing the crisis and in dire straits in the extreme heat and poor conditions.

One could feel slightly guilty over wanting to be immersed in and taking delight in beautiful interior and design pictures that reflect luxury.

But I realize what it is about loving to look through beautiful pictures of homes: Not just a love of aesthetics but dreams and desires reflected : Peace, security, happiness and comfort, and identity. Serene, entertaining mirrors to human life, if you will.

Home is, or is supposed to be, the ultimate haven, where we can just be. Be safe and free to be our selves especially.
And it’s okay to want that, and only natural in times like this.

Whatever the budget, location, style – any place is home that holds beautiful hearts at peace with themselves and one another – living and letting live.

I wish Pakistan and all the countries of the world would just become home then.