A look around us

     The word Abuse in the Greek language is κακοποιῶ. The definition is as follows:  Kακός> bad/evil + ποιέω / ποιῶ> poetry (synonym).  So strange that the root of a word in the Greek language is associated with poetry, the uplifting of the spirit can acquire an ugly and morbid dimension. In the last few days we have been silently following the developments of the sick mind that lies in the spirit of a very famous Greek director. He is the artist who put up the most famous plays in the biggest renowned theatres of Greece, including Ancient Epidaurus. We see people being challenged as human beings, renowned artists having no trace of beauty on them. “Beauty” was for Plato “Idea”, while we escaped from “Idea” and pleased our souls with illusions. We adored people with the same dynamics that we decapitate them now.

     Deception? I do not know if we are unlucky with unfortunate responsibilities. Maybe for you, the humble insignificant person that you are did not know of his filthy deeds. But today I wondered… Didn’t you know about your neighbor who was abusing his family? Didn’t you know about the woman who cries every night? Didn’t you know about the mentally challenged child being spat on by his classmates? Didn’t you know about the parents whose objective was to expel every different child – a child of different race, religion – a refugee from a country at war – to be kicked out from their children’s school, because of their own bigotry? Didn’t you know about the elderly neighbor who was unwashed, uncared for days, with half a plate of food, without anyone taking care of him? Didn’t you know about your hungry neighbor? But clearly you were not all these people to know, you only know what concerns you.

     “I was afraid to speak, because I had no right to” you will say. “I was afraid of being characterized in the neighborhood,” would say a woman full of pain and sorrow.  “I was afraid of what would be done to my child, afraid of anyone doing any harm to him, afraid of the abuse that was coming to him, of him being expelled, afraid please don’t…. please don’t…”, will say the mother of a mentally challenged child. “I’m afraid of what I am living, I’m afraid to remind you that I still exist,” the elder man will think.  Fear shadows over our lives. Humanity is camouflaged, terror magnifies the dark side of humanity, the anguish for a quiet daily life turns into a life without oxygen.

     If all of this drowns us today, it may be up to us to find the oxygen we need. We need to protect our neighbor, to hear his screams, to pick up the phone, to knock on the door, to help whoever needs us. Today she is an unknown girl, tomorrow she is your sister, today she is her child, tomorrow she is yours, today he is an old gentleman, tomorrow he is your father, tomorrow all these people are YOU, it’s US!