When it all happened

Dear friend,

I hope this finds you well.

Since grey "had" to be my favorite color growing up I am allowing myself now to write these letters in pink--may that be a form of rebellion or expression?! Although you will feel like I am writing about a lot of unknown things at once (see why grey had to be my favorite color) rest assured, time will allow me to tell you all the stories.

I will start with one that made the change. December 22nd, 1989. The day of the Romanian Revolution. I lived it.

As it was already winter break I found myself playing with the dolls at my friend Oana's house. I was six years old. From the streets we heard people call "turn on your TV's!!!" "listen to the radio!!!" , and those were calls full of panic and uncertainty. It was December 21st, at 3:00PM. Don't get me wrong for being surprised when somebody said to turn on the TV in the middle of the day...what was there to see? The only broadcasting the communists would allow was at 7:00 PM for the news program featuring...guess who...the president. So we did turn on the TV and thanks to youtube you can see now what I watched that day. Basically Ceausescu was at one of his glorious appearances where people were forced to worship him and out of the crowd rebellious shouts started: "you killed innocent children," "freedom," "freedom,""you are Romanians too." I will never forget the tyrant's face that day. All confused and uncertain. And then it all started...the army started shooting at the people in the streets, the dictator and his wife fled the capital, the entire country and the entire world were in awe of the turmoil created.

It was December 22nd 1989 that changed my life and my destine. Mine and of million others of Romanians....but more to come.

Yours,

Veronica