Marie Vitušková

“Then there was 1989, and it took us by surprise, too. Around 17th November, we were in a friend’s home in Prague. On the 17th we were in her flat and we did not know what was happening in the city. But her boyfriend took part in it. On the following day we planned to go to the downtown. We decided to go to see some galleries and so on. As we were passing through Wenceslas Square - that was on the 18th - the whole square was full of people who were gathering there, and there was a protest rally and as we were there walking on the side toward the galleries with my daughter, she was so scared because the people were chanting a rhyme: Those who stand on the side walk betray the country! She asked me: Mom, what are we doing? She was a little girl. It was very intense. Then the ringing of the keys; it was on the Letná Plain and there were tons of people and we rang our keys. I remember that it was – 25° or –20°C, it was freezing terribly, we were frozen like icicles and suddenly we felt enormous strength within us and we could feel the change which then took place. Just to illustrate, there were so many people that I felt my life was in danger when we then got to a metro station and there were so many people riding on the metro and we were squeezed in there like sardines.”

“I would like to call on the people: I have a vision that by their acting, people should always get a bit higher and have a better life. To be happier and more content. Sometimes, people cannot envision the consequences of their actions and their impact on nature and other people, because people harm mostly one another. By the way they treat those around them and their neighbours. It brings nothing good. It does not make sense to discuss bad things in too much detail, but they are here and they are lurking somewhere. What matters is to realize the very core of our being and the reason why we are actually here. In order to advance something somewhere. It is for the future. It is for the others as well. It does not mean that we are born and after us, the deluge. One needs to think about the others, too, and about our posterity. This is what I see as a really big problem nowadays, a global problem. Because people are greedy, selfish and vengeful. Naturally, it is important to see the good qualities as well, and it depends on whether we let the good or bad prevail, and which of the two will remain on top.”