Immigrants are humans too - Stories of prisoners of geography

I am a Romanian-born woman with a dream bigger than me.
I write books hoping to make a living from it.
It's not easy. Not at all.
But what's easy nowadays?
Better yet: what was ever easy?

I love my country and my language, I respect the traditions, I long to see the street I grew up, the house I was raised in... I long to see my parents, my sisters and brothers all together.
But I live in England now.
Romania is far, far away...
Not only in terms of physical distance as... of the way I fell about my roots.

I left my country when I was 24.
Italy was my destination.
Italy... one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
I learned so much.
I cried so much.
I was so unfairly treated.
And why?
What have I done?
Have I been a bad person?
No.
I was ... a prisoner of geography. Nothing else mattered.

I wrote books about that period. Ten Years in Italy, Three Weeks a Human is one of them.
But I also write about immigration on my blogs. You know that.

I am glad that happened... what happened in Italy otherwise I wouldn't be here.
And I want to be here... in England.
I love living in England.
But I am not sure for how long now... with the Brexit going on.

Yet. "Dum spiro spero. While I breathe, I hope."
I hold no grudge to anyone.

Being good is a decision, not a consequence. 

A friend of mine asked me once why have I left my country. What have I dreamed to achieve?
My answer was: Hope.

I am an immigrant and a human just like you. I have hopes and dreams and I want to achieve them. I have this right. My nationality doesn't define me.
What other people do is their responsibility, not mine.
Right?


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May the universe be always on your side.  

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A Great Way to Remember - Cristina G.

Some time ago, my colleagues and I got an email from my team leader inviting us to have a picture together for the company calendar.
I always loved calendars and I liked the idea very much.
However, as the participation was optional, I decided not to take part as I don't really like being in the centre of attention.

That is something coming from a writer who craves for international recognition, isn't it?
Anyway, although I'd like to be famous, and I will be, I am yet to learn how to handle the reflectors' lights.
To be honest, I never liked being photographed. I am terrified of the idea. I believe I am not photogenic at all.
Thinking that you are better in real life than in photograph isn't it somehow arrogant?

I am not referring to photoshopped photographs. In those, we are all super perfect and forever young.

Anyway, I wanted to know my teammates' thoughts on the matter.
So I spoke with them and it seemed that none was very eager to be immortalised on a calendar.
That made me very sad.
I took some time to reflect on it.

I thought that it would be amazing to have pictures with all my colleagues from around the world.

I imagined myself old and decrepit holding the future calendar in my hands remembering names, places, and situations that made me laugh... or cry.

It seemed such an easy way to remember...

I asked myself how could I not take part when I like the idea so much?
What was the real reason for my refusal?
Was I upset with someone or with something in my company?
Bingo!
I was indeed upset because of a very unfortunate incident happened in the past.
An occurrence that gave me an awful amount of distress.
A situation I thought (still think) was not handled properly by the people in charge of it.
They did their best to fix something that was very difficult to fix. However, I suffered and I lost a lot because of it.
I didn't know what to do so I isolated myself from most, even if I cared for many of my colleagues.
Years after, I am still haunted by that terrible experience.

But refusing to participate in a collective calendar was not fair.

The idea brought by Caroline, one of my dear colleagues I had my training with, was great and I appreciated it a lot.
I couldn't wait to see the final work.
So I discussed it again with some of my colleagues. I told them that we should be united at least once.
"One day we will regret not doing it."

Every team had a different month, of course.
We were lucky and got February,  the month of love.
Our outfits and looks didn't have to be fancy or weird.
As long as we had hearts, teddy bears and red roses... everything was cool.

So we dressed up a little and when the day came, almost all my colleagues took part.
All women (all different) and a huge teddy bear.

Johan, the brilliant photographer, has been very patient and gave us a lot of free will. We did whatever we liked and the result was great. I thought. Johan doesn't agree. I think he's too modest.

Caroline was present at our photo session too. I hugged her to express my positive feelings about the whole project thought by her.

Caroline was sweet enough to make me have the photo of her team to use in this post.
I really love their month, but I love mine better.
No hard feelings, dear Caroline. Alright?

The conclusion of this post is that you should always allow others to take pictures of yourself in different hypostases. Especially in the work environment.
One day you will feel grateful for the opportunity.
The years pass fast and the memories fade away even faster.
Many people deserve to remain in your heart.
A photograph is a great way to remember. It's a tangible proof of the past.

Thank you, Caroline.
Thank you, Johan.
Goodbye BPA quality.

I will hold you in my memories forever.

***

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Happy Valentine's Day to everybody who Loves!

That's everything I want to say.

All of us have the right to love and to be loved.
Regardless of the age, skin colour, nationality, religion, gender and so on.

If two or three people are in a consentient (consenting) relationship, who are you to judge?

Freedom is our given right!

Taking advantage of vulnerable people, abusing the powerless (children, elderly, animals) is abominable. That's illegal, immoral and totally wrong.

Love and you will be loved. 

Read my others posts on these topic.

Have a Fabulous Love Day!

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Are you a Creative Person? A Writer, Poet in need of a followership?

If the answer is "Yes, I am that, I am," then know you are in luck.
I can help you to get the recognition you deserve.
I have opened new blogs especially for people like you. People who work hard to pursue a dream and to make something worth having (seeing, hearing, reading).

No matter what you do, it is extremely difficult to stand out nowadays.

You could the next Renoir, Balzac or Mozart but people wouldn't even know you exist without huge exposure. Massive promotion campaigns.
You don't need to travel to do that.
Internet is an extremely powerful tool.
In 5 seconds, the entire world could find about you.

But you need to take action. You need promotion, advertising, marketing.

I know you're a creative person, not a business one. I wasn't either.
I am an author, you know. Writing is my life.
My head is filled with countless stories.
I sacrifice everything to fulfill a dream I never dared to dream before.

I am here to help you get out for anonymity.

Three of my new blogs in the languages I am fluent in are at your disposal right this moment:

• In English = authorsforlife.blogspot.co.uk 

• In Romanian = ceresiveiprimi.blogspot.com

• In Italian = scrivoepubblico.blogspot.com

Contact me to publish articles, guest posts, interviews, ads about you and your work.

Show that you care. Prove that you believe in what you're doing. 

Don't waste another second. Time is running out and somebody else might take what belongs to you.
Somebody who doesn't deserve it (maybe), but that somebody is ambitious and determined.
Qualities that are a MUST in this century.

You work hard and you are talented. Your work is valuable and useful but you need to show it to the world.
People need to talk and read about you. They need to see pictures of your work.
You have to be everywhere.

Trust me with this. One day you'll realise what a smart move this was.

I will do my best for your name to be known.

I wish you best of luck!

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Have You Ever Felt Like You Don't Belong Anywhere?

I have this feeling since I was a child.
At first, I told myself that it was a silly sensation that every human has.
When it didn't go away, I convinced myself I was born in the wrong era. Maybe too early or too late.

I have been thinking...
I wrote so many memoirs when my intention is to write happy fictional stories. And I am quite good at it.
But then I need to liberate my soul from this eternal bad luck.
I believed that once I put the bad on paper, the good will shine.
Except it doesn't. The bad never ends.

These memoirs are the proof that I don't belong anywhere.
Nobody can have eternal bad luck.
I think I am trying too hard to live a life that I shouldn't have had in the first place.

Was it my fault for coming into this world? 
Why have I decided to come in the first place? 

Because I believe we chose to be born.
We chose from who, when, and where.

I also believe that we all have a purpose and if we don't find it in this life, we are bound to be born again until we find it.

I sometimes think that I found my purpose.
The truth is, I don't know what my purpose is and I am so, so, so tired. I don't want to be born again.
I don't want to go through this again. I really don't.
That's why I work so hard. Because I don't want to be born again. I want my soul to be at peace. Flying free wherever... just not here.

I doubt myself and I think I worth nothing.
I think I am not good enough and that's why I don't get anywhere despite my hard work.
But a friend of mine tells me that people fear my brilliance. So they don't support me because they don't want to give me the opportunity to be someone they would like to be.

But how does this help me? 

Image from Pixabay

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