I know You have something to say!
On the way to the next day
A story by by an unknown author
On my way to Sofia. Traveling in the “first class”, six-seat compartment of the A-class wagon.
As expected , not many people around, who paid the extra money for the larger seats. Only one passenger in the small box . Not the kind you would expect to find here, though - dirty clothes, tired, smelling like a winery, with a bottle of beer lying near and feet or actually shoes on the seat on the other side.
I was pretty aggravated from the moment I stepped in my compartment. Had to get him to wake up and move his feet, so I wouldn`t have to jump around just because he was feeling comfy with feet on someone`s seat. All the other passengers came and moved after a short time to a different compartment .I did not. We shouldn`t have to back up every time we are aggravated, scared of confrontation or weary of it. We shouldn`t and still we turn into a society of the weak and indifferent. But that`s not what I wanted to share.
So, after some time and several complains from well-behaved passengers, the guard mumbled something to the last couple-“don`t bother him , he is…”, unfortunately I didn`t hear it.
The couple moved, the guy , who by the way looked very much as a gipsy, was asked by her to “at least put his feet down”.
To be honest , if I had to , I would bet he is either a heroin addict or a boy from an orphanage.
So , at some point, I thought how much my opinion and feelings changed for the last two hours.. In the beginning I felt anger for him , then disguise , then indifference. Now…
From anger to pity and will to help him if I could.
I don`t smell the alcohol now.
But how often do we get to this point? How often do we get to act like humans , not just people?
I was a typical person from a typical society a few hours ago. Thought –“here`s another smart ass , doing the train “hotstepper” impression.”Would give him the left make-up tool if he gets more irritating. He probably would . And he looks at least 10 kilos less than me, and certainly a lot weaker.
”
Oh, yeah, I`m a bouncy head , easy to get in a confrontation. But there is more , I breathe the air of the love-hate society. The “ ours-not ours” base for trust and respect.
Not that I see anything much changing around now. I just don`t feel anger and hate for that sleeping person any more. For the gipsy, if he is one. And I often feel hate for gipsies. And Turks.
So , several hours before that , I bought some sea souvenirs from a gipsy woman . Not the most pretty ones, although some of them looked fine. But what made me buy them were her words-“What should I do? They drive us away , do not want us to sell the souvenirs on the alley , there is a law now. But what should I do-stay at home, go around Varna and steal? I don`t want to steal, I want to make these souvenirs and sell them , I want to work!”
Overwhelming honesty, that`s what I felt ! And I don`t get this feeling much , instead I take part in the everyday masquerade of false smiles .
And she spoke in a very poor Bulgarian- something I particularly dislike in Bulgarian citizens and natives. But did not pay any attention to it this time. Just talked to that woman for several minutes , while ultra-modern hotsteppers passed around. And spent more money , than I did last night on the expensive bar of Grand Hotel Varna.
So, where are we now?
How long is our personal time from anger and aggravation to respect and care. How long does it take us to get out of the “people cocoon” and act as humans?
I`m not a representative of the society around, but if we just assume for a second that I was ,it would mean 2-3 hours and one deep honest voice is what holds us apart from being a normal human-like society. Makes me think-should there be less people like me , and more who are much more opened to the world of the others? Is it 2-3 years? Twenty? Thirty?
Because we have now maybe more than 500 000 gipsies around. At least half of them generating some criminal activity. And one of the reasons for that is our apathy and dislike.
But it cannot go forever. By the way-have you ever thought of a gipsy policeman. I haven`t . You don`t get foes together, you get friends together.
But all this would change. And should change!
We would still be a business with ties, at least most of us. But we would also have to learn to smile .Not because of money , demand or a specific purpose.
But because we are supposed to be happy every time we see another human face. And this face is smiling at us!
On my way to Sofia. Traveling in the “first class”, six-seat compartment of the A-class wagon.
As expected , not many people around, who paid the extra money for the larger seats. Only one passenger in the small box . Not the kind you would expect to find here, though - dirty clothes, tired, smelling like a winery, with a bottle of beer lying near and feet or actually shoes on the seat on the other side.
I was pretty aggravated from the moment I stepped in my compartment. Had to get him to wake up and move his feet, so I wouldn`t have to jump around just because he was feeling comfy with feet on someone`s seat. All the other passengers came and moved after a short time to a different compartment .I did not. We shouldn`t have to back up every time we are aggravated, scared of confrontation or weary of it. We shouldn`t and still we turn into a society of the weak and indifferent. But that`s not what I wanted to share.
So, after some time and several complains from well-behaved passengers, the guard mumbled something to the last couple-“don`t bother him , he is…”, unfortunately I didn`t hear it.
The couple moved, the guy , who by the way looked very much as a gipsy, was asked by her to “at least put his feet down”.
To be honest , if I had to , I would bet he is either a heroin addict or a boy from an orphanage.
So , at some point, I thought how much my opinion and feelings changed for the last two hours.. In the beginning I felt anger for him , then disguise , then indifference. Now…
From anger to pity and will to help him if I could.
I don`t smell the alcohol now.
But how often do we get to this point? How often do we get to act like humans , not just people?
I was a typical person from a typical society a few hours ago. Thought –“here`s another smart ass , doing the train “hotstepper” impression.”Would give him the left make-up tool if he gets more irritating. He probably would . And he looks at least 10 kilos less than me, and certainly a lot weaker.
”
Oh, yeah, I`m a bouncy head , easy to get in a confrontation. But there is more , I breathe the air of the love-hate society. The “ ours-not ours” base for trust and respect.
Not that I see anything much changing around now. I just don`t feel anger and hate for that sleeping person any more. For the gipsy, if he is one. And I often feel hate for gipsies. And Turks.
So , several hours before that , I bought some sea souvenirs from a gipsy woman . Not the most pretty ones, although some of them looked fine. But what made me buy them were her words-“What should I do? They drive us away , do not want us to sell the souvenirs on the alley , there is a law now. But what should I do-stay at home, go around Varna and steal? I don`t want to steal, I want to make these souvenirs and sell them , I want to work!”
Overwhelming honesty, that`s what I felt ! And I don`t get this feeling much , instead I take part in the everyday masquerade of false smiles .
And she spoke in a very poor Bulgarian- something I particularly dislike in Bulgarian citizens and natives. But did not pay any attention to it this time. Just talked to that woman for several minutes , while ultra-modern hotsteppers passed around. And spent more money , than I did last night on the expensive bar of Grand Hotel Varna.
So, where are we now?
How long is our personal time from anger and aggravation to respect and care. How long does it take us to get out of the “people cocoon” and act as humans?
I`m not a representative of the society around, but if we just assume for a second that I was ,it would mean 2-3 hours and one deep honest voice is what holds us apart from being a normal human-like society. Makes me think-should there be less people like me , and more who are much more opened to the world of the others? Is it 2-3 years? Twenty? Thirty?
Because we have now maybe more than 500 000 gipsies around. At least half of them generating some criminal activity. And one of the reasons for that is our apathy and dislike.
But it cannot go forever. By the way-have you ever thought of a gipsy policeman. I haven`t . You don`t get foes together, you get friends together.
But all this would change. And should change!
We would still be a business with ties, at least most of us. But we would also have to learn to smile .Not because of money , demand or a specific purpose.
But because we are supposed to be happy every time we see another human face. And this face is smiling at us!
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