Egypt birthing itself

It's amazing how Morsi misjudged his own people. Perhaps being on the political outside for so many decades as the Brotherhood was rendered by modern Egyptian leaders, he lost touch with the passion, humor and determination Egyptians uniquely are blessed with. An evening watching Egypt comedies with Adel Amin and others would have brought him up to date. Egyptians have been mocking and poking fun at their paternalistic dictators for decades.

After expelling Colonialism, Nasser represented himself as a Father of Egypt and its people. He hijacked, for lack of a better term, Um Kalthoum and the Egyptians anointed her the Mother of Egyptians. Songs of past glory, longing in love, success in piety, Life, Love and a constant urging to bear the burden with humor as better days will return, always just around the corner were believed and bought by generations of Egyptians. With government controlled media in all its forms, it was virtually impossible for Egyptians to know the truth of their circumstances...until computers and the Internet arrived. And that was decades before social media.

Internet provided forums to socialize with one another, with people in other countries using IM options, then on websites until the government realized how much activity was going on. Internet cafes sprung up with hours for men and women. What was forbidden in social society became a possibility via screen and keyboards. People could hook up, talk, argue about politics, fall in love, make plans.

Egyptians began to see a broader world and all the lies they were being told. Even though a lot of these matters were discussed in hushed conversations or strictly at home among trusted relatives, conversations were beginning. As Jews once discussed leaving Germany or Poland when the writing of Hitler was on the wall, Egyptians who could do so began dreaming of getting out, leaving the country for Europe, Netherlands and the U.S. Those who could maneuver the American Embassy-a bee hive of informers-safely applied for visas to visit relatives, go abroad for business, always with the proviso of returning, many not planning to return like a tiny flame that raged in their hearts. Others, almost exclusively men, looked for women anywhere seeking marriage, leading to a visa for them to depart.

I do not see this so-called coup a step back at all for Egypt. It is a spasm....like a baby who kicks and pulls up his tiny legs in pain when hunger eats at his unformed stomach-he needs to be held and fed. Egyptians are experiencing what Freedom means and their are exercising their rights. They voted in a man who appeared to have the least amount of ties with former colonial powers, whose party has medical clinics, feeding centers, schools for the poor...they voted for him with the belief that he would represent them and set them on a self sufficient path. Enough food and jobs for a start.

And there's a lot to do. Egypt's infrastructure is almost non existent. People have to pay for their own sewage lines or not have any. When you buy an apartment you get 4 walls and the quality of the cement may or may not mean the building will collapse within 5-10 years or stand a few years longer. The jokes about Egyptian traffic are not funny if you are trying to cross the road and the cars never stop, because they don't--you just launch out their, dodging cars as the 'traffic police' wave buses or important vehicles this way and that to pass them along amid all the civilian drivers. Museums with crumbling exhibits and hand lettered signage explaining what an item is you're peering at in disbelief. Smoking everywhere and anywhere  nonstop.

I hope Egypt continues to 'spasm' until they get it right and get the leaders they deserve. The young student who was obsessed with Egypt and was killed this past week likely understood and experienced the resilience and hope of a young revolution still in its throes and in no way finished. Egypt may not be a tourist trap at the moment, but it needs to handle its own storms without outside interference--it will survive and grow with patience and belief by its people that they themselves know what's best for Egypt.