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Chapter 5
Coalescence: Of Coming Together and Change
Efμαστε λ(γo Avaτoλ(τες. H Eλλaδa εivat κovτa στa λεγoμεva
<<aγpιa μεpη>> πεpa, κaι oι Avaτoλia επηpεaσε τηv ιστopia μaς.
∑ε κaπoιo επiπεδo, aυτo επηpεaζει τov τpoπo πoυ σκεφτετaι κaι
τa θεμaτa πoυ aπaσχoλoυv τov πoλ(τη σημεpa. Aυτ6 δεv εivaι
κaκo πpaγμa. Aπλως, πpεπει va avaγvωpiσoυμε 6τι о μυθoς της
aυτovoμης Eλλaδaς βaσισμεvη σε κaπoιo aμ6λυvτo, πpaγμaτικo
Eλληviσμ6 στηv κapδιa τoυ κaθε πoλfτη εfvaι aκpιβως aυτo,
μυθoς. To μελλov της χωpaς μaς, κaι о τpoπoς πoυ σκεπτετaι κaι
avτιδpa о 'Eλληvaς, εivaι δεμεvo με aλλoυς λaoυς.
We аге а little Eastern. Greece is close to the so-called “wild
places” yonder, and the East influenced our history. On some level,
this affects the thoughts and the topics of interest to current
citizens. This is not a bad thing. Simply, we must recognize that
the myth of sovereign Greece based on a pure, real Hellenism at
the heart of each citizen is exactly that, myth. The future of our
land, and the way the Greek thinks and acts, is tied with other
peoples.
This is taken from part of a conversation I had with an old man at a cafe or
kafenio (καφεvεio) in the immigrant-rich neighborhood of Athens, Kypseli.
One afternoon in June, 2007,1 was speaking with an elderly Greek man about the
state of the healthcare system in the country. Eventually, our conversation turned to his
fear that his children would soon try to place him in a geriatric home (γηpoκoμεio) where
he expected to be treated poorly and perhaps even beaten. Fear of growing old and being
taken advantage of by both one’s family and the corrupt healthcare system is common
across Greece141. Moreover, this fear is probably not unfounded; in fact, I suspect that
geriatric abuse, like anorexia and depression, are secret epidemics in the country. As our
conversation continued I mentioned that I sympathized with his fears and agreed that
141 One commonly voiced fear is that making one’s children executors of the elderly parents’ estate might
result in the parents receiving poor, cheaper, or no treatment when they become very old and can no longer
manage their own affairs.