Bombs over Ashdod....

I really never got it. Every time I showed the Sderot video, every time I talked about what people can do in 15 seconds, every time I updated my facebook status about rockets in Israel. I didn't actually understand until I had to run to the shelter. Until I was the one that was running, I was the one that heard it while I was in the bathroom. Now I finally understand.

This morning, I looked at the newspaper and on the front page was a picture of an 11 year old boy talking about what he does when the rockets fall and how his house doesn't have any safe room and so sometimes he throws up because he has no protection. That is not childhood.

And then I heard the siren and I was the one that wanted to throw up. Because the rockets aren't far away. They are here. Right next to me. it's no longer a hasbara campaign I'm launching during Israel peace week. It's my life. And it's really fucking scary.

I was sitting in the shelter waiting for the all clear sound and nobody was even phased by it. "it's annoying" they said. "can we leave yet?" "I have things to do". THESE PEOPLE ARE USED TO IT. And it is so sad. It's so sad that there is nothing to do except for get used to it. And Israelis continue with their lives. Its not ok. When Israel has air strikes in Gaza, its not because they feel like it. Its because it's not ok that people have to run for their lives 10 times a day. In half of an hour, we ran twice. I'm sure it'll happen again. When I spoke about it with the girls in my office, they told me that I'll get used to it too. But I don't want to get used to it. And they shouldn't be used to to it either.

I came to Israel to live and I intend to stay here. But I hope and pray that my kids will read about tzeva adoms in their history book instead of experiencing them while staying home from school because it's too dangerous to go.

So tell your friends who are reading the NY Times, watching CNN and NBC what's really going on. That Israelis are interrupting their daily routine in order to run to bomb shelters. And until they stop shooting rockets, we will continue to fight for our right to live our lives without sirens.