I went to my neighborhood cafeteria for breakfast this morning. Part of my routine when I am in Belgrade. Enjoying a croissant, a coffee. Chatting away with people I have come to know here. Sometimes I take my laptop with me, sometimes my Kindle for reading in a book. Today, I only had my phone on me and jotted down the following conversation:

“Have you heard the news about what is happening in Israel?“

Me: “Yes, I have, it is so awful what is happening!”

“I don’t understand why people can’t just talk to each other. Everywhere there is violence! People are being killed in Ukraine. Now people are being killed in Israel. And at so many other places! And it can happen here, too.”

Me: “It can happen anywhere and we all must prevent it, whereever we are. The world has become such a fragile place. There is so much violence and war, and it seems not to be ending.”

“It is so sad to see when people can not live in peace. So sad to see people suffering and hating each other.”

Me: “Yes, and it makes one feeling so helpless. Because it feels like we can do so little about it. We read these stories, we are upset, we wonder what we can do. Sometimes we get tired and don’t want to listen to these news any more.”

“Yes.”

Me: “The only thing I know to do is to listen and to understand my neighbors and to live peacefully and to help. It feels like so little, so small, but it is the only thing I feel that is possible. It is so important not to look away.”

“Dobro. You want your double espresso with warm milk?”

Me: “Hvala!”

My conversation with a waiter in my street cafe in Belgrade this morning. He is a young Russian. Compassionate. Humble. Always laughing. Working in Serbia. Worried about Ukrainians. Israelis. Palestinians. No dogma or pre-occupation, no hate. Living a simple life here. Respected by customers and friendly neighbors. Been listened to by a foreigner from Germany. Both guests here.