Ana K

Fairfield, CT

Eastern Europe 1989

Hello Brian,
I am from Bulgaria originally. I was about 7 years old during the Revolution in Eastern Europe. My parents grew up under the communist regime, so did I for the first years of my life.
The Revolution itself was a celebration of Freedom, what came after was the actual challenge.
Unlike East Germany, Bulgaria had no strong supporter on the side. A country with an established system in place.
Instead of the desired Democracy what came was an Anarchy. There was no government in place and no laws whatsoever. The police or military were as helpless as the civilians.
Some form of mafia came from underground to the top of the country. Robberies on the streets were a part of the daily life. Women's necklaces were taken of their neck, earrings pulled of their years. Kids were left to walk home without shoes.
My brother had to give his lunch money to a group of older boys every day as he was going through the park for his basketball training.
My dad left for Germany in order to earn a better living for us, and my mom was left alone with three kids to deal with this situation.
There was no court system, simply nobody to stay behind you. Everyone was on their own and whoever had the physical power won. Just like wild animals in the jungle.
It took at least ten years for things to settle.

I believe the ideal for a Revolution overpowers the clear thinking. It is good to fight for your rights, but without a government the society goes wild. The revolution itself is really the easy part. The times after are the really hard ones.
So, if the Egyptian president changes the Constitution and prepares everything for a democratic elections in September the transition might go much smoother.
As much as the Egyptians want to see a change right away, I think they should be a little more patient because otherwise no good will come out of it.
Thank you Brian,
Best Regards, Ana