Contextual Reflections: Memory Work

Memory Work
People having survived atrocities of the second World War, people having survived further prolongations of hate/war, never stopped speaking of those atrocities. Never exhausted their means, memories, trying to drag our attention to what had happened.

On the other hand the news, television, and all other media never stopped at boasting about the achievements of “vellazerim-bashkimi”. Whereas people in safe rooms, after having listened these very same news, in their shelters, never stopped at pointing out each others ugly side.

What really happened is the chain of atrocities that circled the rooms and offices of the whole world, from people living most comfortable lives to those struggling with their own lives under the danger of other humans or from poverty, etc.

One thing we should always be frightened of is what we tell our children. We could continue carrying the hate, passing it like a hot potato, or dismantle that bomb (though long ago exploded), and relieve our children’s future from that crippling beast of a memory.

The victims, the heroes, martyrs (aren’t we all martyrs of some kind just having lived through those times) need to be treated with respect, and by that with the respect to the freedom we are living, and memories too need their respect as parts of our martyred lives, for if not treated with due respect they will force us down just like the policemen of the past. But the wholeness of our diversity is not less important in this. But our children’s future is, nonetheless, as important a part of our dealing with the memories. History books, documentaries and other, the mediums carrying our wounded memories should have this in their perspective.

B.H.