Recently, one of my colleagues asked me, “Is it ok that your role and significance is not highlighted in the article?” To which I quite honestly answered that I do not care of my “role and significance” in any matter, nor I want the “people”, especially the “descendants” or the “generations” speak about it. Every day, good or bad, I am doing my job the way I understand it. Not more.
I agree that for the great part of Armenian (in this case, I would specify: the Soviet Armenian) intellectuals, their own “role and significance” is primary and the most important. They usually call the editors and say, “Poghos has written a nice article on my birthday. I certainly have not asked anything from him. Simply, this man has said his heartfelt words.” In reality, he certainly has asked to write about him, continuously reminding about the day of his birthday for a couple of months, and it is very likely that he has participated in the process of composing the laudatory text so that no bit is lost from his “role and significance.”
I know a similar Soviet intellectual who knowing that his bright image is missing in a fiction (a fiction!) about a scientist, has demanded to burn the book. I know people who are telling for years, “once, Karen Serobich (Robert Sedrakovich, Serzh Azatich) called me to his office and said …” I know elderly academicians who do nothing all year round and become active only when the day of selecting academicians and corresponding members comes, in other words, the day of erasing their “ill-wishers”. I know dozens of people who in the second decade of the 21st century are busy with machinations for months over the “Honored”, “People’s”, the state or presidential award.
It is from the same series when someone is writing an article and demands publishing it in several media. Allegedly, his thoughts are so epochal that one media is not enough for it. It is the same when a book is published in which my short story is translated into 40 languages. As if it is mandatory to read it in Swahili language, thus the significance of this work will grow.
Why do I remember about all of this? For those who should respond to the current problems of the country, who should give ideas to the society and promote the formation of public standards, are living in a fabricated, empty and vain world and are busy with senseless matters.
The good news is that this generation is gradually fading away.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
