I have been away, but there is no away from this. The war I watch on TV is real, as real as the ocean in front of me.

I walk the beach. I am on vacation in North Carolina so it’s not warm. Not like Florida. But the air is soft and there is no breeze and though the day is overcast, the beach is long and wide and the waves are rhythmic and gentle.

But for the war, this would be a moment in paradise. It’s tranquil and remote, off the beaten path. You can walk for miles and hear only birds and the lapping of waves.