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This thread is a place where we can express how we deal with April 24th, as individuals, how we commemorate the day, and what types of things have caused change in the years on how you see this day, etc...
Me first: I started out very young, I was passionate, I loved having the ability to show who I was, I WAS ARMENIAN! Damn it and we were persecuted; we were hurt, my family suffered, etc... But I took no real action...
Then I got into college, I realized that just passion, crying, pity, etc, doesn’t do anything except make me a future patient of a therapist... so I decided to join a party. I wanted to move the change that was needed by becoming a part of something bigger, so there was the ANCA, I did all the web faxing, I donated money, I went to the talks, I went to protests, I went to gatherings, yelled out what I had to yell out, I sang the Armenian national anthem, etc... I read the history books, the specific Armenian genocide books, etc... I was even the president of the Armenian club at my school.
Then - this summer I went to Armenia, ohh my GOD it was wonderful! I went to Tsitsernakabert, I stood there looking into the fire, I looked around, and there were people there putting flowers, it was silent, there was this warm summer wind, I was nervous because I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to do it in front of my little brother... then I stood out side of the memorial and MAN! If you’ve ever been there, you know what an incredible view you have of the city! The buildings, the streets, the highways, etc... It is uncanny! it is breath taking.... so I asked my cousins how they commemorate the day, how they feel about it, and they said something along the lines that they feel terrible for what happened, but they feel worse for how things are going now considering the genocide, they said "after all of that, we still are NOT united with one voice." I felt at ease there and I think that the experience was cathartic… so they feel the same way as I do, and I am not alone… seeing what my country was about, going to the place where it hurts to think about helped me understand that protests, silly politics, etc… are not the best ways to deal with the pain and scarring that has been left on me and the rest of the Armenian people.
Now, out of college, I am bit more mature then before, and with taking into consideration my experience in Armenia, I commemorate the day by mourning the loss, remembering the past, and only look to the future, this helps me very much...
So I guess I am calmer then before, and I have found the place in my heart where I can deal with the social side of my pain… but I will never want to change my true Armenian feelings and principles of diplomacy for turkey… although I think it will help A LOT if they stopped denying it…
Me first: I started out very young, I was passionate, I loved having the ability to show who I was, I WAS ARMENIAN! Damn it and we were persecuted; we were hurt, my family suffered, etc... But I took no real action...
Then I got into college, I realized that just passion, crying, pity, etc, doesn’t do anything except make me a future patient of a therapist... so I decided to join a party. I wanted to move the change that was needed by becoming a part of something bigger, so there was the ANCA, I did all the web faxing, I donated money, I went to the talks, I went to protests, I went to gatherings, yelled out what I had to yell out, I sang the Armenian national anthem, etc... I read the history books, the specific Armenian genocide books, etc... I was even the president of the Armenian club at my school.
Then - this summer I went to Armenia, ohh my GOD it was wonderful! I went to Tsitsernakabert, I stood there looking into the fire, I looked around, and there were people there putting flowers, it was silent, there was this warm summer wind, I was nervous because I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to do it in front of my little brother... then I stood out side of the memorial and MAN! If you’ve ever been there, you know what an incredible view you have of the city! The buildings, the streets, the highways, etc... It is uncanny! it is breath taking.... so I asked my cousins how they commemorate the day, how they feel about it, and they said something along the lines that they feel terrible for what happened, but they feel worse for how things are going now considering the genocide, they said "after all of that, we still are NOT united with one voice." I felt at ease there and I think that the experience was cathartic… so they feel the same way as I do, and I am not alone… seeing what my country was about, going to the place where it hurts to think about helped me understand that protests, silly politics, etc… are not the best ways to deal with the pain and scarring that has been left on me and the rest of the Armenian people.
Now, out of college, I am bit more mature then before, and with taking into consideration my experience in Armenia, I commemorate the day by mourning the loss, remembering the past, and only look to the future, this helps me very much...
So I guess I am calmer then before, and I have found the place in my heart where I can deal with the social side of my pain… but I will never want to change my true Armenian feelings and principles of diplomacy for turkey… although I think it will help A LOT if they stopped denying it…
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