If you’ve followed Middle East news in past weeks you surely know about the attacks exchanged between Israel and Iran(-backed forces). We’re know one step closer to full-blown war. We’re one step closer to a total war and nobody seems to care.

As a Middle Easterner, you get used to certain things in the region, and one of them is war. We’re born with it and many have died with it. It’s been here for thousands of years but modern conflicts date back to 1902. It’s always been here.

I don’t have a memory of a single day without war in the region, nor does my father, nor did my grandpa. We’ve always had war and years of experiencing and getting used to it made us numb.

For the past week I’ve seen my colleagues’ flights being canceled on fear of missile attack from Israel and the only thing I’ve heard from my co-workers is how much angry they are that they can’t go home (for their monthly rest). Nobody seems to care or be feared that if Israel attacks one of the petrochemical and refinery plants here, where we work, every single one of us would likely die.

Nobody seems to even fear that there will be war directly towards us and we most certainly will suffer the consequences. We’re so numb from the war that the only reaction I see from people is them making jokes. Pretty funny jokes actually, made me laugh hard sometimes.

I bet if there’s a threat against some European or American countries, people there would panic and get everything ready to combat the aftermath but it’s not like this here. War has lost its meaning here. I’ve seen people lining up in gas stations to get a full tank so they can flee the city in case of an attack but it was a really small group of people.

I was wondering what the hell is wrong with us here? We know what war can do to us, we’re seeing it every day, and yet we’re continuing life as nothing is happening. War is not funny, it’s not something that will ever become normal, yet it is in here.