Marks

Nowadays, around us, they build quite a lot, considering the lack of the demolitions... A certain prosperity could been perceived beyond this work, although everybody admits that the state of the economy is extremely bad: the number of retired people increases instead of that of the working people, unsatisfactory jobs provide poor salaries, the lack of capital stands for stagnation.

Nevertheless, one can see new buildings everywhere. The present achievements are materialized in concrete. The concrete is the mark of progress today, because it’s an everlasting material.

The dire poverty has actually become a scourge. The theft got alarming aspects: they suppress the woods, they pierce the oil pipelines, and they steal the power cables...

The concrete is not for stealing; cast in form, it takes same hours to turn it finally into solid... Ignoring the notifying signs, the passers-by frequently step over the fresh-cast

concrete alleys, marking them with permanent footprints.

Why does this happen?

By mistake, absent-mindedness, for pure enjoyment, out of curiosity... or perhaps to communicate...

Whenever a person unintentionally steps on wet concrete, unguarded and amazed, he/she quickly withdraws leaving a mark; if this goes on, there are footprints in a file, providing also some information, such as the size, age, gender, weight etc. The place, marked in this way, is aesthetically compromised (there is also the risk of stumbling over the holes in the ground), but the situation is unanimously accepted as a little fault. The same as treading on green grass... This minor offence is far from crimes like robbery and destruction that are posing a threat to national security...

Innocent children as well as adults go on and gaily step over newly built walks and trottoirs, permanently marking their passing by... Actually, they make this “mistake” with secret awareness of being the first ones…

Is this really a typical issue for the inhabitants of the South-East European area?

Teodor Graur

April, 2001.