The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

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“The struggle of man against power has to be a struggle of memory against forgetting.”― Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting.


I won't say I am a big fan of Milan Kundera. I'll say, though, I have to bring him up whenever the Prague Spring crosses my mind.


The Prague Spring was born in 1968. I was born decades later. There's no generation gap between me and the Prague Spring, however. I can't tell you why. But that's how I felt when I was backpacking in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, a few years ago. 


Poking around this most beautiful European city (in my humble opinion),  I found the spot where the Czech people had once made a stand against the fast-approaching Soviet tanks.  An elderly native lady, who was supposed to pass me by, came up to me and asked if I needed some help. Of course, I did. Everything's sunny side-up in an instant. She smiled back and let me know that she liked my American accent. She further flattered me with her well-honed English. 


I learned from her that, ever since that fateful day, church bells have been echoing each other at a certain hour to keep the spirit of the Prague Spring alive.


"We forgive. We won't forget." Smiling, she strolled away.


by 水儿