THE LONELINESS OF BIG CITIES
I was happy to see Mr. Mert, the young security guard, after a long time. After exchanging greetings, we excitedly looked at photos of his newborn daughter together. Despite the freezing cold under the drizzling rain, Mr. Mert’s heart was warm. He was full of enthusiasm and hope in his eyes. I congratulated him on his new job and entered the building.
That day I had a seminar at a company located in Maslak. After the seminar, I was on the ground floor with the company’s general managers. As we were leaving the building, I shook hands with Mr. Mert, who was greeting everyone, and said goodbye. Suddenly, surprised and questioning looks were directed at us. Clearly, we had both made a huge mistake that we shouldn’t have.
As human beings, we greeted each other by saying “you exist”…
The young security guard, Mr. Mert, had greeted the general managers, belittling them while elevating himself. As I said goodbye to Mr. Mert, I shook his hand as a “human security guard,” and worse, I equated him with the general managers.
After some time, we met with Mr. Mert, who had been fired from his job, at a tea garden in İstinye. While drinking our thyme teas, we discussed “How does Turkish society define greetings?” and sought answers to the following questions:
In our country, what are the reasons why a communication like “Why did you greet a stranger?” can lead to a crisis?
“Can we say, ‘A human being is a human being, regardless of their position or rank. What matters is not social roles and labels, but the individual’s existence as a person. The person in that position or rank is valuable not for the role they represent, but as an individual’?”
Why do we feel uneasy when we greet or receive a greeting from a stranger?
Can we say that we, as a society, have resolved the issue of having an identity?
Are the people of my country, with whom I share the same land and the same fate, trustworthy?
We would love for you, our valued friends, to join this conversation. Thank you in advance for your time and effort in reading this.
With my respect and regards.
Uğur Uğural
