It is never too late to change one’s mind

Well, after such a long pause, I need to put some order in my thoughts. I have been working very much, having 3 jobs and writing my Master thesis. Plus taking care of my cantankerous old parents who are never happy, and always complaining about whatever because I am the worst things that ever happened to them. My mother is horrible, but at least I am convinced of being her natural daughter – I totally resemble my grandmother, who loved me deeply and truly. But I intend to request a DNA test for my father, because I cannot be his daughter. He is too old, he is most probably not even fertile and the frustration that my mother carries within herself is due to his being impotent. I have no resemblance either to him or to any member of his family. And this is also that sort of things that a person feels within herself. I am not his daughter.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about what I truly believe in. I have been raised in hate, despise, and paranoia. My parents are racists, bigots, and they are convinced that right wing parties can bring a better shine on a nation. I do not want to discuss politics, I was never interested in politics, this was my point of view. Until last Friday. In the whole country there was a women’s strike, to ask for equality between men and women and for the same salary for the same job (disparities are still wide spread). I work for an archive which is concerned with archival funds connected to famous women of the region, so we decided to take part to the strike and to be present at the event with a stand with some materials – also with the aim of promoting our activity. Andy, my boss, asked for my help to prepare everything and then he suggested me being there with him for a couple of hours at the day of the strike; it would have been awkward indeed if at the stand of the women’s archive a man alone would have promoted our activity. So I decided to stay the whole day. Our librarian, Cri, decided to do the same.

The atmosphere was just amazing. Peaceful. The guys beside us were a group of volunteers of the young socialists, and I got to speak a little with them. They have ideals. They are maybe dreamers, but they fight for something without violence. Just last week one of the right-wing head of a military group at University was suspended because, after a disagreement with a colleague, he threw a table after him during a lecture. My mother is of the opinion that it was just a game, a reaction of an immature but innocent young man. I think that this is criminal energy, and if this is the kind of people we have in the military, it is a good thing if we take them away the weapons after they have completed their service.

Andy, Cri, me and other people who work at the archive and who joined us later went to the march, that took place at 5 pm. We were thousands of people, women and men. We walked through the city until the place of the government and once there, some politicians held several speeches. I also heard the speech held by the head of the LGBT association, and that made me think that this is the world I want, not the one I always voted for. Andy smiled and said that it is never too late to change one’s mind.

Right wing parties have criticized the strike. The same salary for the same job is maybe not a necessity to them. I never voted right wing, I was a liberal. This means in the middle. It is never too late to change one’s mind.