I received an email from a dear friend back home. He wrote:

“Peace be upon you my brother Mounir. How are you doing abroad? And how are things with the crisis and the flu in Spain?
I hope you and your family are in good health.

You know how much I respect and love you. What I’m about to tell you does not mean my feelings have changed — not at all. You will always be a brother and a close friend to me.

But when I heard that you’re coming this summer to spend your vacation with your family and friends in Ahfir, I felt obliged to write what’s on my mind.

You’ve been living for years in Spain, near Barcelona, and I heard in the media that it’s the area with the highest number of swine flu cases.
And my brother Mounir, I won’t hide from you that I’m afraid: when you come, as usual every summer, and we meet, shake hands, hug, sit and talk… I’m afraid you might pass the H1N1 virus to me and I become infected.

My friend, I’m not saying you have the virus — may God protect you — but the chances are very high, especially since you live in a contaminated area.
So don’t take it as disrespect… and don’t be surprised if you see me avoiding meeting you or even getting close to you when you’re here.

And I won’t do this only with you, but with all the vacationers returning this summer.

That’s what I wanted to tell you in this letter.
Mounir… understand me… and may God bring you back safely. Peace.”

End of the letter.

After reading it, I decided to call my friend and tease him a little.
After greeting him and checking on his health, I praised his concern for protecting himself — even though the method he chose was a bit strange.

I accepted his “rules of the game” and told him:
“No problem… we’ll talk by phone or chat. And if we see each other, we’ll just wave from afar… until my vacation ends and I return to Spain.”

Then I continued, warning him to be even more cautious, because viruses come in many forms… and you never know where they come from.

I told him:
“My brother, besides protecting your health, you must also protect your mind from another kind of contagion — one no less dangerous than swine flu.

Because I, and most vacationers, carry inside us very dangerous ‘viruses’ of another kind. Just looking at one of us can infect you.

This dangerous disease has stages and symptoms. If you feel them invading your head, run for treatment!

The first symptoms are:
– Thinking that vacationers live in Europe in luxury and comfort.
– Imagining that Mounir’s bank account is overflowing with euros.
– Believing that anyone living abroad only mixes with stylish Europeans, wears only brands, sleeps on feathers, eats only fine food, and drinks coffee in fancy cafés.
– Imagining that Mounir lives in a shiny glass apartment next to Camp Nou or the Champs‑Élysées.

The second stage is worse: the disease infiltrates your thinking, and you start focusing on one thing only — migrating, leaving your business, your trade, your job… convinced that life abroad will be much better, just because of what you saw and heard from vacationers.

My dear friend, just as you fear swine flu, which leads to certain death, avoid falling into the flu of migration, which leads to certain defeat.
The wise understand with a wink.”

By Mounir El Ghiouani – 2012