‘12 Years A Slave’

Today I went to see ‘12 Years A Slave’. Not only did it move me to tears but it also made me ponder various things. I have so many thoughts and feelings that I want to share but I don’t really know where to start. And by the way, I’m not going to give away any spoilers in this post so don’t worry and continue reading if you haven’t seen the movie yet.

We should not forget that almost every nation and every country once had some form of slavery. Somehow the privileged few always had the tools to create the kind of society where they could exploit people. No matter what continent or part of the world, the government always collapsed into the despicable state where the unimaginable was accepted, legalized and even encouraged.

Take Russia as an example. The country existed under different forms slavery for several centuries. And I believe the ramifications and repercussions of it can still be felt today. The slavery in the United States gets much more attention and is widely depicted in all forms of media. But believe me, every country bears the same stigma. The only thing that makes slavery in the U.S. especially abhorrent and inhumane is that it was based on racism. I think the worst happens when race gets mixed in. Think Nazis and other stuff like this. Good God, I can’t believe that only a few decades ago the world was so screwed up. We like to call ourselves civilized, boasting about our scientific and technological achievements and wallowing in the belief that we are the enlightened beings yet this same civilization commits horrid crimes which are directed toward its own people.

But anyway I don’t want to stray off the course and digress from what I really wanted to say. As I said the history of almost any country was stained with the sinful and repugnant act of enslaving people. So my point is that this concept was so deeply ingrained into the very fabric of our society that it almost became part of the culture, the culture of the mankind as a whole, the shameful legacy of the past. But such scars don’t go away that easily, it takes time to heal. The laws have changed, the mores have changed but it takes much longer for the mentality to change, for our minds to be set free.

I think a lot of bad things that happen in the world were initiated because of this heritage. The wars, the hate and other atrocities. So the only way for us to stop it is to change ourselves. It is hard work but it’s the only way to salvation. So we have to learn how to really be free in the deepest sense of the word. I hope this post will make you think about it and probably go see the movie to get inspired.

[Originally posted on Facebook on December 29, 2013]

Winter Wonderland

It's gotten colder but I venture outside. The snowflakes eddying above my head, the gentle wind touching lightly on my cheeks, the soft light descending upon me from the skies; here I am walking amidst this feast of nature. I take in everything that surrounds me, soaking in this beauty. I am listening to the original soundtrack of 'The Preacher's Wife'. The gospel music fills my soul with joy, the kind of unrestrained elation I used to feel so frequently when I was a kid and that doesn't come to me as often now, which is why it has a special meaning to me. Whitney Houston's voice reverberates in my ears, I have that unmistakable Christmasy feeling as everything around bears a tinge of miracle. I'm joyful and calm, I'm in a contemplative mood yet my mind is free of burdens. I feel blessed.

[Originally posted on Facebook on December 8, 2013]

The Gospel People

Today I went to a concert by the Gospel People. That was truly amazing, my hands are sore from clapping! God can they sing! And the vibes were just great!

As you might imagine Russian audience is usually quite reserved. But these guys managed to shake up the crowd and that conservative attitude completely dissipated. They interacted with the audience a lot and got people to stand up, clap, dance and hold each other’s hands. It was such a bonding experience, as if all the people in the audience turned into a single entity, a vessel for love and a vehicle for spreading joy to the world. It’s so important to be able to connect to people sometimes, just a bunch of strangers. In that whirlpool of positive emotions that sweeps you off your feet you start to truly love them, love your neighbor, love the whole world!

[Originally posted on Facebook on November 29, 2013]

Vladimir Pozner's talk at the Cleveland Clinic

Here's a very insightful talk Vladimir Pozner gave at the Cleveland Clinic.

As Churchill wittily noted Russia was and still is 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma'. I happen to live in this country yet I hardly understand its culture. I have to deal with many of its quirky ways every day and I keep wondering as to where it all comes from. History gives a lot of answers.

A man with an interesting multicultural background, Mr. Pozner is endowed with sound judgment and keen acumen for understanding intricate political and historical processes. His views on the state of affairs in modern Russia corroborate many of my own thoughts and observations. If you're interested in Russian culture and the underlying basis of it, this speech provides an interesting perspective. I absolutely recommend this to those who came to Russia from other countries as it might make you look at things somewhat differently and understand what makes this country tick a little better.

By the way, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that I agree with everything he says and that I can vouch for every word here. In fact Mr. Pozner's integrity can be questioned, for he was spreading propaganda on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what is important is that he has repented. Putting all this controversy aside, he undoubtedly is a very intelligent man with quite a unique experience that enables him to make adequate judgments about Russian culture. So I think it's worth familiarizing yourself with some of his views.

[Originally posted on Facebook on November 17, 2013]

The John Lennon Story

Today would have been John Lennon's 73rd birthday.

Born in Liverpool, This Boy gained an interest in Rock And Roll Music at an early age. He would strum his guitar, Twist ans Shout Eight Days A Week. Then he got together a band With A Little Help From His Friends thereby embarking on a journey that would later be known as the Magical Mystery Tour.

John, Paul, George and Ringo decided that they would Come Together and proceed on The Long And Winding Road. They didn't realize however that they would have to Carry That Weight.

At first, it was just A Hard Day's Night, but They Should Have Known Better. It was hard to Act Naturally and John started pleading for Help. They stopped doing concerts. But there was still Something that made them move on.

Dr. Robert advised John and his friends to try out 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. Thus they went on a long and ecstatic trip Across The Universe. John thought that There Was A Place but He Was Only Sleeping. And also he believed He Was A Walrus.

The Beatles made a Revolution. But John had to Slow Down because He Was So Tired. He felt like he was a Nowhere Man.

Then he realized that All He Needed Was Love. Being a Beatle felt like being in Chains. John decided that It Was All Too Much and thought it was time He Was Stepping Out.

Then began The Ballad Of John And Yoko. It was Just Like Starting Over. And it probably was something John could never have Imagined.

But out of the blue came The End. John Lennon was shot with a Revolver. That was a big Misery.

But we all remember John. He really wanted us to Give Peace A Chance. So Let It Be. Thank you!

[Originally posted on Facebook on October 9, 2013]

Something You Need To Know

Before I started this blog I tried writing longer Facebook entries. Some of them came out nicely and I decided to repost them here. So the next few posts will be those little essays that convinced me I can write a blog.

And there’s something I want you to know. I never considered myself a good writer. In fact, I hardly ever wrote anything that was not part of my school or university assignment. Neither do I read much. So I don’t think I have developed a good writing style of my own. But I feel very passionate about this form of expressing my thoughts.

The power of words is immense. Words can inspire people to change their lives, urge them to alter their ways; words can incite wars and bring about peace. After all, words instill a certain mood in us, they make us smile or ponder existential matters; they make us move forward and help the humanity evolve.

I’m not taking up any of the above missions nor do I think I have enough literary prowess to do so now. But I’m here to learn. So one of the reasons why I started this blog is to befriend words and syllables and to become closer to the beautiful world of writing. You decide if I’m successful in my endeavor. If you have any advice on that, please feel free to share your thoughts, I will appreciate it. So I’m wrapping up here and I leave you with these blasts from the recent past: my Facebook posts that led to the creation of this blog.

Greetings

Hello and welcome to my blog!

First, let me answer one important question – what is this blog going to be about? In fact, I don’t really know. I can only say one thing: it’s going to be about ME and YOU.

It’s about ME because I’m in charge here and I decide what to write about. Hence the name of the blog – Along My Lines.

And it’s about YOU because you are the reason for having a blog. I’m writing all this for you and I’m doing this because I have something to share with you.

It must seem quite natural that I should introduce myself in the first post. But I’m not going to do that. Let me explain, I just want it to be fair. I have no idea about who you are, why do you need to know who I am then?

However, by starting this blog I basically signed up to reveal a lot of personal information since every word I type, every line, every sentence – it’s part of me and part of who I am.

I don’t want this to be a mere soliloquy, I strive to inspire people to converse. So feel free to comment and share your thoughts if you feel you can bring something to the table. This way we’ll get to know each other. You’ll find out who I am, I will get an idea about who you are. And it all will finally make sense.

So we’re setting off on an interesting journey, ME and YOU. I hope we’ll have a nice time together. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and telling you about myself.

Good luck to us! Let’s go!