Some time ago, I thought I lived in a country where ministers lied openly without punishment. I remembered an intellectual who directed pornographical movies with his friends’ wives. I thought about drug dealing and the increasing number of drug addicts.
 
It came to my mind that these places where bingo is played are increasing and they are full of more or less well-off people who are spending their time and their money. I thought about people who spend part of their wages in bars, discos, soccer matches. It occurred to me that some of the soccer players, as well as athletes from other sports, earn fabulous amounts of money.
 
I admitted the existence of arsonists who, in a moment of madness, are capable of setting fire to a forest because they were paid by businessmen whose material ambition has no limits. I thought about the reasons that make many of us step ahead of other people in a bus line. I asked myself if there are still those who regret their “sins” on Sundays only to repeat them during the following week.
... I almost felt miserable...
Almost. Because then I thought that I am in a school-like world where no one is perfect. And, unfortunately, because they misuse their free will, many men are capable of doing things that are unthinkable even to the so-called irrational animals.
 
I tried then to face reality as a whole. I was and am sure that there are honest politicians, who are able to sacrifice themselves for the superior interests of the nation and renounce their well-being and personal interests.
 
I remembered those who work anonymously for organizations of scientific research, industry, agriculture, education, health, social work, and those fighting against drugs and crime, and many others, so that these people and this country can be better tomorrow  than they are today.
I thought about those mothers and fathers who, with a strong will, try to give their children better conditions than the ones they had, to help in their material and spiritual growth.
 
I pondered upon the honest businessmen, the conscious workers, the competent professionals, the hardworking clerks, the dedicated farmers, and many others that are working, creating and building.
Man seems to be imperfect but he has a strong will to become perfect. He is capable of making mistakes, but he is also able to identify and correct them.
 
Then will it be positive, realistic and constructive to keep on feeling miserable with the misfortunes we saw then, see now and will see happening around us? To feel impotent to correct the world (that seems apocalyptical in these times)? To complain about all this and many other things?
Or is it better to assume tolerantly that other people have faults just like us? To accept the rest of the world as it is and try very hard to correct only that part of the world that is within our grasp: ourselves? To trust that other people are also doing their part and, with our help, the situation in this country and on this planet will be progressively (maybe in a slow way that is hard to notice) better? Calmly... Constructively...
 
 

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