Luz Maria Forgiveness Notes

Luz Maria is Pablo Escobar’s sister. He was of course the notorious drug lord in Medellin, Columbia, accused not only of torturing but murdering numerous victims in his quest for domination of the drug trade. Luz Maria now leaves notes on the graves of many of her brother’s victims asking for forgiveness. Yet instead of a hero she has become a question mark. When I first heard the story, the BBC reporter surprised me by saying that she didn’t know what to make of Luz Maria. That is because Luz Maria does not see her brother as all bad. He was a good brother, she says, he helped the poor and she believes he did not commit some of the atrocities attributed to him. Luz Maria also does not receive a full endorsement from the families of those victims on whose graves she leaves notes. Felipe Mejia, the brother of one of Escobar’s victims says that forgiveness is not justice. That may be, but it would seem that the kind of justice Felipe Mejia would want is not within Luz Maria’s power. After all, how many of us would feel so strongly about atoning for the wrongs of a brother in a way that almost becomes a lifestyle? It’s hard enough to deal with the errors of a family member, but when those errors are a series of heinous crimes, how would we bear it? She ought to be lauded for her efforts. There isn’t enough forgiveness in the world, so I can’t help but praise anyone who engages in it.

Ova Only

Several tech companies, including Facebook and Apple have instituted a policy of paying for the cost of female workers to freeze their eggs. The idea says the LA Times article—itself quoting a post on NBC News—is to allow female workers to concentrate on their career without fear of having motherhood interfere. At both these companies, men outnumber women 2 to 1, and it is hoped granting women this perk will keep more women on board. Using a rather newly perfected technology as a retaining or recruiting tool, the procedure costs from $5000 to $15,000, should be appropriate, after all these are technology companies. Yet, critics, and I am one of them, point out the ways this policy looks to be unfair to women. Had the policy included men being able to freeze their sperms, I would say what a clever use of technology, but singling out women is bothersome. I’d go as far as saying it’s demeaning because it seems more a value judgment than an option. It says to women you can’t be both parent and career person—while men according to this policy can. It has, however, yielded something positive, the fact that all these issues are now being discussed.

Waste of Time?

Not far from Orlando, Fla. The Villages is a retirement community where the draw is that you can live like a millionaire on a budget. There is free golf and affordable housing. Happy hours begin at 11am, there is of course everything a retirement community could need or want, and, relevant for some, even the possibility for unlimited sexual encounters. I shared reading the rather long article with one friend who commented, “My definition of hell”. I shared it with another who said, “Would be quite boring.” Yet the communities are growing, attracting people from several states including many retirees from the CIA. The article didn’t mention any resident leaving, but there must be those who become satiated with a hedonistic lifestyle after a while and want to go elsewhere. There are those who no doubt define happiness in shallow terms, for whom non-stop fun is a good life. I would surmise, however, that for the many retirement is not a second childhood and needs to have some meaning—more than likely a meaning that would take them beyond their own pleasure. That may be why I can’t help wondering how many think along with me, about the waste of time, efforts, resources and opportunities such retirement communities represent.