Snaps
Just some snaps I shot while traveling around the region this past month. Was nothing planned…just took my camera and shot these images in the little time I had to spare.
While I enjoy all these images, I particularly like the second one…I was lucky enough to capture more than I hoped for in that one shot. From joy and laughter to indifference and weirdness.
I hope you all enjoy them as well. I would love to know your thoughts on these images. It is constructive to hear what you all have to say.
Sold Future !!!
I’ve been away for a while now…for almost a month I didn’t do much on my blog. Through some accidental events, I’ve managed to get me involved in some electoral campaign for a candidate for the Mayor’s chair. So for almost a month I took part in a messy spectacle of honesty , compassion and vision on one side and stupidity, egos and ignorance on the other side. Lucky I chose the good side (unfortunately not the winning one…but at least I didn’t had to lower me to an intelligence level I wasn’t comfortable with).
It is unbelievable how miserable and dirty the 21st century politics can be in Romania. We fought ,in the 1989 revolution, for freedom and for democracy, for the wright to vote and express freely our believes. I see now that all was in vain. In a community of a bit over 3000 people , in Romanian country side, people are treated by their mayor as a country was treated 22 years ago. Threat and intimidation found a home under the leadership of a 72 yo man that behaves like a tyrant (a stupid one also). Scared people being held from the neck by a gang of cruel, ignorant, stupid and greedy middle aged and senior citizens. I honestly don’t want to say that I am ashamed I am Romanian, but now I see why I just don’t fit in anymore, why I feel like a stranger in my own country.
It is embarrassing to see parents selling their votes, selling their children’s future for a miserable 50 USD. How can these parents look their children in the eyes and tell them they care for their future? Don’t these irresponsible fathers and mothers want the best for their family?
Even worst is that these kind of situations are easily found all over the country. And remember we have aspirations to one day be an integral part within European Union, we like to think about us like a modern state with democratic values. (democratic values my ass *pardon my language*).
I really just feel sorry for the children that, trough no fault of their own, are caught in the middle of all this and see their dreams and aspiration blown away by the stupidity of the political class, by their parents unwillingness and incapacity of gathering information and getting educated and wisely choosing the people that represent them in the local administration and all other political institutions. The same parents are crying they have no jobs, they have no food on their table…but at the same time they vote for the same people for 20 years, for people that got them in this state of survival in the first place.
The images in this post are shot during this campaign. These are children from Rosiesti village in Vaslui, Romania. (the village I was referring to in the first part of my post)
Collateral Victims of Our Society …!!!
Yes….victims of our society… !!! And we can not relieve us self of that responsibility for we are an integral part of the society we live in. I am a believer in democracy, in the survival of the fittest ….but yet I can not ignore my very human feeling of solidarity , of guilt, when I see innocent children alone in their suffering for which they have no fault. Many people argue that they are the responsibility of their parents and the system. That is a very convenient statement for it takes all the burden off our shoulders.
I have recently met an old friend, a wonderful mother of her own, that together with another couple of amazing ladies has struggled to put together a small charity organization to try to make a change in these children’s life. I have joined them during one of their modest activities and I was touched by how simple, how little it takes to bring joy in the struggling life of these poor helpless children. An old toy, an old pair of shoes, some clothes we usually just throw away…a school bag that our children just don’t like anymore … all of these can help put a smile on a face of an innocent child that probably lived next door, but he was too poor or challenged and ended up in some institution were his life has become nothing but even harder and he ended up as just another statistic.
Even though I have to admit I haven’t done nearly as much as I could, I still dare (even if I might appear to be an hypocrite) to urge you all to not just turn your back at this social problem. As I have already mentioned, these children are a product of our society , an outcome of our every day actions and decisions, and we should not run away from that responsibility. I know our tax money pay for the institutions that care for them , but is that enough? are we not capable to do just a little bit more? Are we not human enough anymore ? I may seem to be a dreamer but I like to believe we can do just a bit more, and that bit is often enough to improve the quality of life for many of the poor, alone, suffering innocent children .
In today’s life in our beloved country of Romania (and not only), it just seems that we have become less human, and more like primates living in a concrete jungle, were we take on our social responsibilities only if we have a personal benefit to take advantage off. We can not blame anybody for it even though we try to blame governments and politicians, or the economy , lack of jobs and so on. We still can not be excused for passively accepting these beautiful amazing children as collateral victims and condemn them to a miserable life lacking the most basic needs to survive and prosper as members of the very own society we so proudly claim to belong to.
So step up and help organization like The Association “You Are Not Alone” to make a small change, or go out and help on your own and I promise you will find it to be well worth it.
The images were taken with the cooperation of The Association “You Are Not Alone” during an Easter inspired activity at “Aurora” Educational Center.
