Serbian churches and Bulgarian cousins
Hari Radin
>You have a great difficulty in understanding who I refer to as my people.
No, Hope, I don't think so. I think you are using the same
standard as I am when referring to "my people".
>I do (not) include those who question and deny my existence.
Absolutely! No one has the right to deny our existence. We are
and will be Macedonians regardless of what someone else is saying or
desiring, and regardless of what name is "our" government going
to "negotiate for us" in the future.
In addition, I agree with you when you say - "Eden Bog za site". But I
would add: "Kako za zzivite, taka i za umrenite". We should respect the
ethnical preferences of the ones that are not around us any more, as
much as we want others to respect our nationality at the present time
and in the future.
I don't think that we should dare to reject, hide or manipulate the
feelings our various ancestors had about their own nationality. We are
just exposing ourselves by using the childish argument that our
ancestors' consciousness was product of propaganda, and that they
collectively suffered of "illusions, problems of identity and unsound
minds".
If that was true, it would be so bed for us for two reasons:
1) It wouldn't be nice to be descendent of a people that were so
easily manipulatable.
2) If out people were so manipulatable in the past, there is high
probability that they are manipulatable in the present. At the end,
it's the same people, isn't it.
In addition, this convenient for us reasoning that "we know what we
are, but our ancestor didn't know" becomes even plane ridiculous in
the cases of highly educated people like Simeon Radev, who did so many
independent national historical research studies all around the Europe
and made remarkable original contributions in that field. Claiming
that an independent thinker like him (or Dimitar Miladinov, Goce
Delchev or Grigor Prlichev etc.) had Bulgaro-Macedonian national
feelings because he was confused, or influenced by the propaganda is
not serious.
And who knows what the future will bring! I would't have any problem
if my grand-niece claims some other nationality than Macedonian in 100
years. But I would be very sad if she tries to impose (back-date) her
nationality onto myself, although I will be long gone.
And I am sure you have the same feelings about someone, say you
grand-niece, after 100 years finding explanations why you felt
Macedonian, and contributing that to some propaganda, or the reasoning
that "things got hot for you in Canada, so you came to USA and were
exposed to Yugo/Serbian community" or similar nonsences.
So if you take a credit of coming to the conclusion about your
national feeling by yourself, give that same credit to YOUR people in
the past. And remember, they are long gone, and they are not denying
your national feeling, but it's YOU who are denying their national
feeling.
>The Macedonian Tribune was delivered to our home. I can still see myself
>stretching to reach it in the mailbox and running with it to my mother. It
>was guaranteed delivery for Vuiko Chris Nizamoff was associated with it then.
>Even I could read the Cyrillic and understand the Macedonians words that were
>the rule rather than the exception in those days. BTW, I know less about Vuiko
>Nizamoff than I know about Vuiko Simeon.
Well Hope, in that case I suggest you start with the
autobiography of Vuiko Chris Nizamoff. His book is a direct, first
hand contribution on the events in Resen and Prespa from the beginning
of this century, as well as an excellent review of the early Macedonian
emigration in the USA.
It's written in English and you can get a copy from the Macedonian
Tribune by calling (219) 422-5900 and talking to Mrs. Virginia
Nizamoff-Surso, the Administrative assistant of the MPO (who is
incidentally Vuiko Chris' daughter).
I am sure it will be interesting for you.
Salute,
Hari
Mommy dearest
I respect every nationality then and now. What I find to be abhorrent and
insensitive is someone telling me what my nationality is in their view.
I speak for no other family than my own. There is no knowledge of any
nationality other than Macedonian in my roots. They, the stari, inherited it
first and I inherited it from them. If another nationality did exist in our own
lineage, it would not be hidden. It would be acknowledged. We cannot assume to
be what we have no right to be. The stray lambs who wandered from the fold were
mesmerized by the thoughts and teachings of others and are still my relatives
even if I disagree with their ideals. You cannot drain bloodties.
I do not think Vuiko Simeon was confused. He knew what he was doing and he
did what was best for his time and his personal life.
A bre ti ne slushis - I have no other nationality in my heritage. Let the
old ones rest in their graves.
I do have two baby great nieces. You must have a crystal globe there. One
has the ancestry of Macedonia, Croatia, and Germany. The other has the ancestry
of Macedonia, Croatia and Lebanon. Here in America, they have the freedom to
call themselves anything they desire.
You cannot seem to understand that I can only assume why Vuiko Simeon left
Macedonia forever. Also, you have a great difficulty in understanding America.
Let me educate you on my exposure. In Canada, our neighbors were chiefly Jewish
with a sprinkling of English, Germans, Czechs, and Hungarians. In America, our
neighbors were African-American (I saw Malcom X in person on our street),
Mexican (the Centro-Mexicano Club was across the street), Polish, Serbian,
Croatian (the Serbian and Croatian churches were across the street from each
other and are now neighbors in their newer locations- Samo vo Amerika!),
Russian, Spanish (my Uncle Lazo was the only non-Spaniard member of the Spanish
Club), Hungarian, and Slovak. You do not buttonhole me into one community.
Thank you for your tip about Vuiko Nizamoff's book. My sister and I will
read it with interest. My sister more so since she was born in stari craj.
Pozdrav,
Hope
P.S. I failed to mention in my earlier post that I also sang solo at the
Croatian church for the special holidays and celebrations.
Hope Aldrich
enough for me as is quite evident by my mistakes. The name "Mommy dearest" was
attached, or so I thought, to a message to my daughter in Rochester. Please
forgive my blunder.
Pozdrav,
Hope
Daniel K Balaloski
Don't feel bad, Hope. I liked that one; that was kind of cool. I might even
make a change myself to "Norman Bates."
DannyK the Great
True Macedonian