Remain people

Authorized death representatives and New Year

I do not remember such a gloomy New Year.

Religious holidays are tied to real or mythological events. And the New Year is a pure convention. On the night from 31.12 to 01.01, nothing changes in nature. But there is a tradition - imperative! - To summarize and formulate, if not plans for the future, then at least expectations.

To evaluate last year, you need to compare it with something, with the before last, for example. What happened in 2022, and what-in 2023? For example, the 2022th gave me the title of foreign agent, entering the federal wanted list, although I did not hide, but for the Russian law enforcement system it is not important, a completely opera criminal case, a month in bars in the other hand is in full confidence that they will now present something like treason and that it was lifelong, and, in fact, flight from the country. The 2023rd was personally less intense for me, but, perhaps, more difficult-I realized how psychologically the life of life in exile. And at the end of the year, so that it was not bored, a new criminal case, now quite serious, for slander not only in the armed forces, like many, but also on the leadership of the country. Deserved, then.

But this is with me.

And for us all the 2022th began in horror, but then swayed to hope and ended on positive.

In 2023, on the contrary, hope left, and the feeling of the eternity of this nightmare intensified-the reasons are obvious, I will not spend your time.

One of the most unpleasant sensations is powerlessness. We cannot influence anything, everything does not depend on us. In the war - from Ukraine and from the West. By the way, if they cope, nothing is guaranteed to us anyway. The situation inside the country looks completely hopeless - self -sufficient fascism. On the one hand, it seems that nothing fundamentally new happened, because there were Samashki and Eastern Prussia before Buchi, and to Mariupol and Maryinka - formidable. And on the other - all this now has become the norm. Many believe that Putin’s departure will not change anything - too psychologically good and conveniently people settled in the body from where the stars are visible and during the day. And here again, it turns out, nothing depends on us - not to hope for the elections!

Of course, little depends on one person. But, firstly, in a normal situation, he can at least vote, and therefore, at least somehow influence or at least have the illusion of influence. Secondly, in peacetime, society does not occupy as much space in his life as now, during the war, war with the whole world and with part of his own people-with us. Today, society has invaded our personal life, destroyed both the usual world and the future: it is impossible to build plans, actions designed for the future are problematic - we do not know what will happen tomorrow. The planning horizon is extremely limited.

Of course, this is an existential situation. We live - we live a full -fledged life - in the understanding that people are mortal, and suddenly mortal, that at any moment misfortune with loved ones can happen. But yes, we know this, but we do not think about it constantly. But today it is not possible to think.

The new world pushes us to different adaptation options.

Pushes to depression and alcoholization. Drink regularly and lie facing the wall. Someone went along this path. Among my friends, thank God, no one drank (for now?), But, in my opinion, to drink more.

Pushes to emigration - external or internal. Sit in the country, put the flowers while allowing (option: sit in Europe, there is calm and comfortable), and the country is so God with it. Spit on her, she is still cursed. But if you agree with this and spit, you will cross out your own life. Why did I, for example, taught students all my life, rational, kind, eternal sowing? I did not work out the number, I worked for my conscience. Was everything in vain?

And the world pushes us to exaltation and constant hysteria. There is nothing but war and regime, every minute must be devoted to struggle, joy is immoral for any reason. Good (not sure that it’s good, but okay), when this is the position of those who are on the barricades. And when these are those who do nothing themselves - cannot or are afraid? They turn into a kind of football fans - they themselves do not play, but live how others play. And they become aggressive, assigning themselves the prerogatives of a certain moral court, explain what can be done and what you cannot do and feel is the same white coat.

All this destroys each of us:

Under the oppression of the situation and all these requirements, we lose ourselves, we get worse - sorry for the use of this poorly verified concept.

And the task of each of us - including the task for this year - to remain people. Contrary to everything!

Honestly, I have no clear answer to the question of how to do this. So, some considerations.

Do not succumb to pessimism, do not fall into sin of despondency. Remember that in fact we very poorly understand social processes and do not know how to predict them. Nobody predicted the end of the USSR, they waited for the February revolution, but it happened unexpectedly and, as Rozanov said, the Russian Empire faded in three days. This is everywhere like this: the power of Mubarak in Egypt or Chausko in Romania seemed eternal, and collapsed unexpectedly and in a couple of days. Yes, and Putin’s darkness gives us surprises - who could have thought that when the rebellion of Prigogine happened, no one would protect power?

Do not be horrified by fellow citizens. They are mostly normal, just the authorities raised everything from the bottom and inspires both them and us all that this is the color of the nation. We are not the first - it was with Hitler, and with the Bolsheviks. His attack aircraft, like our village drunk and loafers - the committees of the poor, before him (with us - to the Bolsheviks) sat quietly, after that they also became silent and especially did not crawl out into the light. Normal people again came to the forefront. Our society, in fact, has not changed much - it, like a hut on chicken legs, only turned to us the other, disgusting side. But it can turn back!

Trying - it’s difficult, of course, but we must try - think about the prospect, preferably about distant, even beyond your own life. No misfortune, even such as happened to us and with our country, should completely destroy us. Life should continue. And if you try to make it, albeit not today, but the one that will be soon, a little better - by raising your own child, helping those who are in trouble, and especially those who are fighting for all of us, or a book that may not be published, but the manuscripts do not burn, then today, despite what, will be easier for you.

Do not take guilty for what you personally are not to blame. You could not prevent Putin or war, it was not in your power. You are guilty only if you have contributed to all this - then try to compensate for the harm caused, like any person who has committed evil and repenting of it.

But you did not contribute! Therefore, do not refuse the path traveled, do not declare your life a mistake.

And please continue to enjoy life. No Putin can cancel joy - neither spiritual nor physical. That is, he tries, but do not let him do this with you. Do not give in - neither to him, nor a variety of official or opposition moralizers. Read, go to the theater, drink and bite, fall in love, invent. This is all fun, this is the life that they, as plenipotentiary representatives, want to take away from us.

And in the New Year, let it be, of course, at your table a traditional toast: "So that he died!" And a clear request for Santa Claus, but let it be fun. And you know, this is the fun of the New Year and not only - the necessary condition for the nightmare stops.

Happy New Year!