When Public and Private Merge

The Internet finally works today. The signal is intermittent; nevertheless the lines of communications are opening. And after several days of being at stall with the publishing, I do not know where to begin with the accumulated amount of information.

Finally, I find “the best” solution: I start to read my emails.

Among forwarded messages that I usually delete without reading, my attention is drawn to an article by Dina Rubina for Independent Newspaper. I immediately liked her style: terse and logical. The subject she was talking about was not new, yet it struck me as today's reality for every one, whether we can hear the sounds of war from our homes and offices, or not.

The article was in Russian, and so my original post is in Russian as well. What you are reading now is a story I am retelling in English. I usually use only the language the ideas originally come in, but today I felt it is important to share with all. The English version of the article will be but a sketch, but I might add more details later.

Dina Rubina starts by posing a question of what is of highest importance for a writer, a field in which she herself has some 20 years of experience. In her words, besides writing skills, one needs to have common sense and good imagination. She also says that she applies that to everyday life as well. And I am with her on that.

Then, the author offers us to use the above mentioned imagination to see a picture of you living in Moscow (that I guess is where she is from originally, and that is where I am from as well) under the fire, 24/7, for eight years. She lists possible targets that are being hit, including famous historical places, schools, and nursing homes. With a few more details added for your imagination to work more effectively, she adds once again:

For eight years…

She proceeds then with a question: “Can you imagine that? No?”

“And no one can. Unless you live in Israel, and that is your everyday reality.”

…Work in progress…