Illusions
(Original)

Pavel Mikhnevich
(Age 14, Belarus)
Gymnasium № 12, Minsk

How can I create positive changes in my environment? To tell the truth, when I heard such a question, I was puzzled. It is quite a general and difficult theme.

In my view at least half of Belarusian people think about nature when they hear the word "environment". As you know, Belarus is the "lungs" of Europe. Its deep bogs, shady forests and lakes produce oxygen; it has rather rich flora and fauna. It is only an illusion. Now a great part of our country is dying. Why? Everything happened in 1986. It was a holiday "Labour Day", the weather was extremely hot, so, many people were celebrating this festival, some people were relaxing in their summer residences, and some students were at school. No one expected such a disaster would break out in Belarus. In a Ukraine region a great Chernobyl reactor rapidly blew up. Now no one knows the truth why it happened. Nevertheless, almost all radiation went to my country. At that time my granny lived in one of the most damaged Belarusian areas - Mogilev. When I think about this disaster, my imagination draws its pictures and I feel some kind of pain in my heart. I feel pain of the innocent people whose life was broken because of this tragedy (I know about your tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the pain of your people is my pain too). In my view now we shall fight against radiation, we should realize our mistakes and try not to make them again. In my opinion, all countries should unite and fight against this scar on our land, this scar on our people. Many people who were born in 1970-1980 suffer different illnesses now. We should give them all medicines they need and we should try to cure the scars on the souls of their children. We should give them a chance to become the high-level part of our community.

At first, I didn't know what my environment was: my country, my city, my school or my family. Then I understood that the environment is bigger than I had thought before - it is my inner world. It is unusual for every person because we are all different. Everyone - a cruel king, a poor man, and a gloomy widow - all of them have their own illusions of a peaceful world, their own kingdom, a place where they can live without any evils. All people try to make such a place everywhere: in a dark cellar or in a conventional house, in an impregnable castle or in the street. They defend it from other people; they build the borders which no one must cross. All wars as The World War I-II (during the World War II every fourth Belarusian was killed or injured), started because of a person or a government that wanted to live in "peace". Consequently, it doesn't seem to me that someone in our world lives in absolute calmness. In my view, even an emperor, who lives in an unapproachable castle with many guards, much gold and much power, doesn't feel calm. I can't say that I have peace either in my heart or in my mind. On the other hand, my "kingdom" is not a place; it is made up of my friends and my enemies, my teachers and my family. All these people are part of my life, my own environment. Of course, I don't like everything in my community, it is not ideal. However, I understood one fact: you can't change your community by changing other people - it's impossible. We shouldn't cross the borders of their lives, their own opinion, otherwise we'll only make enemies. Once Buddha said: "If you want to change the world - start with yourself." Then I realized that I should look at other people not so critically. Maybe I should change myself? But how can I do it? When I was small, my English teacher told me that our community is the reflection of our soul. Now I have realized the fact that I'm a young creator of the world, and I make the rules of my environment too. So, if I change myself, I'll show all people around me how delightful the world can be. It can become a step to harmony, to our happier future. So all people in the world should smile sometimes, and then our world can become a little brighter.