CURRENTS Next Issue Mar 2018 _Currents copy | Page 20

20
Currents
March 2018
> continued from page 19
Every day and every night, there were violent fights
in which the rival gangs wounded or killed each
other.
One evening, Romeo Montague decided to attend
a masquerade ball given by his enemies, the
Capulets. Thanks to his elaborate costume, nobody
recognized him. Romeo started talking to a beautiful
young girl named Juliet. For both, it was love at first
sight. The two soon kissed passionately. When the
young man discovered that she was the daughter of
Lord Capulet, he left the party
immediately.
The memory of Juliet’s kisses
made Romeo sneak into the
Capulet garden where he waited
anxiously until she appeared on
her balcony. When Romeo heard
Juliet repeating his name, he
knew that she indeed loved him.
That night there in the garden,
they promised to love each other
for eternity, despite the hate
between the two families.
Unfortunately love did not save
Romeo and Juliet. A series of
unfortunate coincidences due to
poor planning and miscommuni-
cation led to the tragic death of
these two young lovers. When
their parents learned the terrible
news, they immediately ended
their bitter feud. They ordered
that their children be buried side
by side so that they would always
be together – alas, in death.
Beneath this heart-wrenching
story of the two “star-crossed
lovers,” there are important les-
sons. First of all, love is such a
powerful emotion that it can make
us forget the harsh realities of life.
Like Romeo and Juliet, people in
love often ignore or underesti-
mate the challenges. They may
come from different social, eco-
nomic or religious backgrounds.
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