We live.

Iran is rocketing around the Middle East, and I'm standing in the supermarket, thumping on a watermelon to see if it's ripe.

Iran is firing missiles at Kuwait, and Israelis are driving to work, listening to news and a cappella music on the radio.

Iran is firing missiles at Saudi Arabia, and parents are packing towels and sunscreen and dragging their kids to the municipal pool to escape the July heat. They have homefront command alert sounds on a high volume just in case.

Iran is attacking Oman, and someone in Israel is checking real estate rental listings because their lease is up and they need to move. They make sure the new apartment has a mamad.

Saudi Arabia is attacking Yemen, and Israelis are riding bikes to the beach, ordering cafe hafuch, arguing about parking, and checking the news again.

The USA is attacking Iran, and Israelis are genuinely wondering what is going to happen next.

Wondering if we'll get drawn back into the conflict.

Wondering why there are rockets flying all around us, but oddly, it's quiet here.

Wondering how long quiet lasts.

We know better than to trust it completely.

But we also know better than to waste it.

So we buy the watermelons.

We take the kids swimming.

We plan for the future.

We listen to the news.

We live.

Not because we don't understand what's happening around us.

Because we understand it all too well.