dignity

when i was young(-er, about half my present age) someone said at an appropriate moment that the americans would never survive the economic sanctions that serbia (then one of the versions of the state called yugoslavia) did – for the simple reason that they would not be able to cope with the situation. quite possibly true.
this image is something that has become common in recent years (decades) in belgrade. it’s a form of recycling, social work, face-saving, compassion – all rolled into one.
you see in the social decay that had engulfed us here, different social groups that suffered different fates – on the way down, as well as now, on the way up. i’ve grown accustom to shantytowns, beggars, little homeless children jumping in the city fountains on hot summer days; i’ve also seen poor rural mountain regions, where only the elderly remain… but the one thing that i stomach worst of all is the vision of an elderly lady or gentleman, dressed in quite nice clothes, the style that i associate with my own grandparents, dumpster-shopping.
the thought of how difficult it was for a middle-class, probably intellectual, to swallow their pride that first time, the thought of their empty stomach, the disparity of having to give up their dignity for the sake of a piece of stale bread, tossed in a dumpster.
i’ve heard the stories of retired office workers, engineers, attorneys, without children, who retired and when the crash came they were left with nothing. without anyone to take care of them there was no opportunity for them to regain their savings, no chance of returning to the lives they had planned for and invested in during their careers. once in that position there was no way back.
in time a spontaneous system of assistance emerged. there were no great campaigns for helping this elderly group, only the very seldom mention of the suicide rate among retired urban dwellers. today it’s a bit better. we’re all doing better. but they are still here; they still roam the streets today. you might spot them when darkness falls, wandering with a single bag in hand, casually glancing at the contents of bins and dumpsters. what will be for dinner tonight?
at one point we (here) were all getting close to contemplating such a fate, which is why no one will ever criticize the lack of a systemic approach to this issue. we were stripped of our dignity to some extent (others more than some). having seen perspective you have a special appreciation for dignity. these bags are proof and a reminder of it.
this is not homage to the people that leave the bags, and its not support for those that take advantage of them – neither of them would have any benefit. this is just a little reminder about the world around us, and the details that tend to fall off our radars…