A student in the 11th grade asked me a few months ago whether it is true that a valuable person is one who has a lot of money, made illegally, a person who appears frequently in the media, involved in various scandals; if it is true that studying, having a job, a family, means mediocrity. The question shocked me.
For many years we were impressed by Gucci belts, by what Kim Kardashian launched, what sports shoes came out, what track suit a trailer park celebrity was wearing. Many people had their eyes on them and on other similar influencers to know what is fashionable, to copy them. We buy the belts with the two Gs because that is what Instagram promotes; we go out wearing a track suit, possibly with crystals, with fur slippers in the summer, we showcase the LV or Hermes purses in the park, just to be ‘fashionable’.
We would pay thousands, tens of thousands of euros for something made abroad, label showing, but anything made by a Romanian designer seems expensive to us. Why? Because it was Romanian, because we have not attached value to our fellow countrymen and their creations.
We did not want to see that there are many valuable people here too; like many creators of fashion, jewellery, content, poems, prose, IT specialists, many entrepreneurs have made really good and beautiful things, worth nothing less than what others have done abroad.
It seems to me that we had our backs turned from each other for many years. We did not see each other, we did not want to see, we were preoccupied by our image, by the way we looked on the stage of our small world. We were not preoccupied by what we are, by who we are in truth, deeply, beyond our imaginary stage.
Indifference to others was (and I believe still is) our middle name.
We should turn around and face each other, support each other, as if we are part of a family; trust each other, re-evaluate what are the true values.
When we have crossed this period, we will manage to come out of the economic crisis only if we support each other.
I said recently that one of our clients offered to pay in advance some courses that were planned for this year. This is an example of a person who, being part of a large company, steps into a small firm’s shoes for which liquidity is important. There are not many people like her. It is an example of support.
Other examples of what we can do now and after the virus:
Stop, for a while, from this pursuit of everything that comes from abroad.
Buy from Romanian producers (of course, not oranges, but tomatoes we can buy); maybe they are more careful about what they produce, even if they do not have a glamourous label.
Search for Romanian designers – there are so many and so talented that you would be surprised.
Not always negotiate the price, they also need to live from what they create, produce.
Buy books by Romanian writers – you would be again surprised at the quality.
Stop negotiating the vegetables bought from the market (especially when we spend thousands of euros on a purse, or vacation); those people put in an effort in order so we can eat.
Treat people with respect regardless of age; value is not found in age, the same way it is not found in gender or nationality.
Appreciate the Romanian paintings, music, theatre, art in general, there are many great artists who deserve to be encouraged, supported, not only acknowledged 50 years after they disappeared.
Only when we turn towards ourselves and others, will we be able to transcend, as individuals and as a group.
