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https://theconversation.com/ukrainian-teens-voices-from-the-middle-of-war-you-begin-to-appreciate-what-was-common-and-boring-for-you-180937>
"A colleague from Kyiv, Ukraine, whom I’ll call N.M., sent me brief essays her
students wrote on what they would do when the war ends. As both a scholar and a
novelist, I knew that these voices, which expressed a beautifully
straightforward and pure yearning for the simplest things that are lost in war,
needed to be heard by the world.
The essays were written in English, and N.M., who has a master’s degree in
English language and literature, told me she made only “2-3 corrections.” The
students attend the 10th and 11th grades at a Kyiv school, are 15 to 17 years
old, and hail from the capital city and its suburbs. The essays were written
between March 14 and March 18, 2022.
Several themes run through most of the essays. The teens yearn for peace and
want to do ordinary things, such as meet family and friends, take walks, enjoy
the city. Daily routines have become extraordinary after several weeks of war.
All intend to stay in Ukraine. Despair is absent. The students expect the war
to end with a Ukrainian victory, and they’re decidedly proud to be Ukrainian.
Their optimism is all the more remarkable in light of the essays’ having been
written in mid-March, when anything like victory seemed remote. Many of the
students have also learned an important existential lesson: Life can be cut
short at any time, and it’s imperative to live it to the hilt."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
