DO YOU BUILD WALLS OR BRIDGES? SPEAK ACADEMY TALK (Anna T Litovkina)

On November 17th, 2022 I had a great chance to deliver my story within the frame of SPEAK ACADEMY events called SPEAK TEA!

The video was recorded by Edit Gyalai

Here is the written version of my story which, naturally, on November 17th became a little bit different:

DO YOU BUILD WALLS OR BRIDGES?
Have you ever asked yourself this question?
My father, BORIS GESHKENBEIN, built bridges, not walls.
If my father were still alive, in one week’ time we would celebrate his birthday, either in Switzerland where my brother lives with his family, or in Germany where my aunt lives with her family, or in Hungary where my daughter Veronika and I live, or in Russia where my father used to live. He would be 93. He died 4 years ago when he was almost 89. He was the most wonderful person, he was a wonderful dad, and a grandfather too.
My father was a physicist. His favourite scholar was Albert Einstein. I remember a photograph of him hanging on the wall of my father’s room.
Years ago I read a story about Albert Einstein which stroke me a lot.
Albert Einstein was said to have been interviewed by a journalist who asked him: What is the most important question a scholar should answer? The famous physicist was silent for about 10 minutes.
And his answer was as follows: “IS THE UNIVERSE A FRIENDLY OR A HOSTILE PLACE?”
The journalist was shocked: “Why?”
“IF YOU CONSIDER THE UNIVERSE A FRIENDLY PLACE, YOU START BUILDING BRIDGES, IF YOU CONSIDER IT A HOSTILE PLACE, YOU START BUILDING WALLS.”
DO YOU BUILD WALLS OR BRIDGES?
This story frequently comes to my mind, especially these days, after the 24th of February, when Russia started a war against Ukraine, and when shelling hit Kharkiv, the city where my father was born.
Our life is always the combination of external decisions that impact us and the choices that we make. We constantly impact those around us, and in turn, their decisions influence us.
The choices we make impact those around us, and their choices, as a consequence, can come back to change our world. Our decisions influence others, and others’ decisions influence ours. Kindness begets kindness. Violence begets violence. It takes two to tango.
Each of us, separately taken might think that we are just a very tiny particle of this Universe. We might think that we do not have any impact on the world, especially these months. Peace, however, starts within us. If we have peace in us, if we create peaceful surroundings around us, if we create a peaceful family, peaceful workplace, we impact other people, and they will also create a peaceful place in them, around them, and our planet will become a safer place… Look at what William and Edit are doing by creating this space.
Conflicts are sometimes necessary, building walls is also sometimes necessary, especially if you are in wallbuilding industry. However it is crucial to be mindful and to ask ourselves this question: AM I BUILDING A BRIDGE OR A WALL?
Next time before you start looking for a scapegoat, before you want to accuse the government, your wife or a husband, your children or parents, your boss or your subordinate, before you want to start a conflict, or before getting someone’s invitation to start a conflict, ask yourself a question: AM I BUILDING A WALL OR A BRIDGE NOW?


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