The weekend that changed my writing
2025-08-30 17:43:00
Manjola Lloja Bushati
A conversation overheard on the street by a friend of mine became the trigger for today's article.
She heard a mother's monologue to her teenage daughter, and sent me a voice message.
"Manjola, write about this too. How can a parent curse their own country so much to their child? How can they expect that child to grow up at peace with themselves, if they carry all this anger towards their country?"
What are these nihilistic behaviors, this hate speech, these nerves with the country?
I think about this often too. Especially on social networks, but also in direct conversations, I happen to come across (and you too, of course) opinions towards Albania in general, and certain areas in particular, where anger, anger, cursing, harsh words are uttered very easily.
I could have listed here a whole bunch of arguments about why this is harmful...why for every unjust or wrong thing that happens, the country is not to blame, but the people.
I would have spoken about the bad influence this method has on children, who cannot grow up and be educated with patriotism as a consumer good, much less with anger towards their own country. The language of swearing cannot educate in any way.
However, the visits I made this weekend changed my line of writing. In two days from Gruemira to Fishtë, fortunately, my acquaintances showed me that reality has so many good examples.
In Gruemirë I met Kaltrinë, a 9-year-old girl whose parents had taken her to a grape harvest festival..she was so involved, enjoying it so much and welcoming to each of us..that I thought she was the daughter of the house there, not just a visitor her parents had given her this opportunity. Sihana was actually the daughter of the house, about 2 or 3 years old. Her mother had dressed her in a folk costume, just like the adult dancers. They took her to dance with them, to the rhythms of the music that that area has with such liveliness and color.
There I met Hersi...I hadn't seen her since she sang "Zogu e Djali" at the children's festival more than 20 years ago...until this Thursday, when she and her Italian husband, now both professional artists, filled the courtyard with notes of traditional Albanian music. Hersi told me that she would spend the entire weekend in Kukës, in her hometown, making art and respecting tradition...because as she said.. "I don't know how much Kukës needs me, but I need it a lot."
Meanwhile, in Fishte, my family and I visited a new guesthouse, whose advertising was done by two little girls. I had never seen a more honest video than the one of the two little girls running around the guesthouse to show the beautiful experience that could be had there.
While eating breakfast next to the sheep, I saw children whose parents were showing them the natural beauties, the local cuisine, the geese by the lake, the horses...
So I decided to tell about them. About their parents who certainly don't have it easy, and who have to work hard, but they are raising their children with love for the country, for work, and for the people. I wanted to tell about the children of the past, who today return, because the connection with their homeland is strong and beautiful, and often rewarding.
And maybe, I should do this more often. Let's all do it, in fact. Let's talk more about good examples, the right opportunities, the spaces to be used so that our children can get to know our country better. That way, they will understand that the country will be even better if we ourselves try even harder.
