Past and presence - from my mum point of view
2. 2. 2010
Me: I would like to ask you about the life before revolution, what was it about?
Mum: The life before the revolution was very simple. That was enough to come to work on time and leave in the right time. Nobody was interested in what was going on during the work time. We knew, only from the atlas, whether there are any other countries around. We had got a felling that we are the best, because we had nobody to compare with. Sure, time to time some information penetrated and declared that its not an absolute true, but nobody talked about it out aloud, to not complicate his life. We have got a right to work, so we were not afraid of loosing job.
Me: So, what has changed, in according to you, after the revolution, what change arrived?
Mum: Back to the first question... Our government made a big favour to us, when we were allowed to buy 2kg of mandarins for a Christmas and also the employer, who let us stand in 2km long queue for oranges and fish fillets, during the working hours. We were extremely thankful to ours do-gooders.
And what has changed?
Me: Yes.
Mum: In the first place, the borders had opened. We might visit other countries, comparing. What we guessed, that the Soviet Union is not a super country, which should be our example, we have finally seen.
Step by step, there was finally a freedom, to the intent that in the elections, there was not just a one political party. For the first time – free elections.
Me: And what about your personal life?
Mum: Regarding my personal life, religious liberty was what revolution brought to me. And with these religious liberty came also possibility of religious literature, education. Lot of church schools were established, the view of people got wider. As story goes, the human has not only stomach but also soul to feed. And the biggest gift for me, after the revolution, are masmedia – radio Lumen and TV Lux, which are the media of a good news, which bringing light and piece of soul. They are developing my soul and make life more beautiful.
Me: Thank you very much. And just one more brief question – your memory of the November 1989.
Mum: November 1989 – it began in Prague. We knew only what we heard from TV. At a first moment, we were afraid that probably tanks will come, but when we saw, that no tanks are coming, we were waiting who will appear on the podium. From the Prague it moved to Bratislava later, so we realised it is spreading like a black death. When I have seen people from armada and police on the podium, I told to myself it is removed, it is toppled over to good end. Than I cant stand it in front of the TV, and I went to the street. I have been watching TV programmes at night, chats with very interesting people, who were proscribed and ours eyes were wide opened by the amazement, where we lived and what was hidden from us.
Me: Thank you very much.