EARLY SPRING PICTURES

ALINA CZERNIAKOWSKA

One can feel spring I n the air, the sun is higher and higher and shines more brightly, birds are returning and those which have been staying in our country, are enjoying themselves with people and nature. However, this Polish early spring is more difficult for us, people, whereas nature is somehow coping with it, despite the rubbles of horizontal rubbish and dirt caused by the man. Looking at people walking along our streets, one can see a dominating dullness, rush and sadness. Moreover, there is aging of the Polish society, and this is seen at every time, in cities and villages. There are more elderly people, or at the so-called middle age at least, dressed poorly, without a style or taste, in a cheesy way, as if the Polish taste got lost somewhere, known among generations, regardless of material difficulties or a historical situation. As one reads memories, reports from the war times, occupations, the Warsaw Uprising, even in the most difficult moments, Poles used to maintain a suitable outlook, elegant style, impressed those occupiers from the west and the east. The German general Bach, accepting capitulation of the Warsaw Uprising, did not hide his surprise, when looking at marching Soldiers of the National Army: ‘They were going upright, proud, in cleaned shoes, smart, real soldiers, boys and girls. Difficult to believe’ – he wrote in a report to Hitler. And it was always so, particularly Polish women were famous for elegant style, great ideas and skills of making fashionable stylish clothes, even in communist Poland, when shops were dull and empty. Now we feel as if we did not want or did not care about it, and mediocrity became normal. I asked young Swedish, who had been in Poland for the first time, to tell me about their impressions: ‘Poles are welcoming, kind, but probably very poor, as they have problems with their teeth, a lot of cavities in them, ugly and neglected’. What is astonishing, are their impressions said spontaneously and really. One can only note people on the underground, in the street, in shops, unfortunately, our neighbours from across the sea were right, ugly teeth or lack of them, is a plague of the Polish society and regardless of education or a place of living. Some people do not have money to go to the dentist, or others have too much money, but do not have time or a habit of taking care about themselves or their family. Poles deserved being not worse than the Germans or the French, as Jarosław Kaczyński and the prime minister Beata Szydło spoke about it. After years of scandals, deceits, thefts of the national property and inability of good management, there is finally a chance for normality. We all must work on it, not let liars, enemies of the Polish nation, deceive us. We need knowledge, truth so that everybody would distinguish betweet whom he was today and is today. Then we will understand behavior of some popular ‘activists’. The Polish nation is waiting for good changes, like for the spring sun, which will rise for sure. We call after every holy mass in Warsaw with this hope, to Our Lady Gracious, the patron of Warsaw and Poland: ‘Let us win the victory over the enemy, Mary, Mother Gracious/Let Christ be our Road/Truth, Life. Warsaw asks You today’.

AA

„Niedziela” 11/2016

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl