WEAPONS TO STICKS

One day in 1991, an excellent idea was born from an exceptional woman. Mind you, she was a normal woman, leading a normal life with family, job, home, backyard, relatives, socializing, joy, happiness, loans, life with all its ups and downs— all components of a normal life— without any extremes and without hatred towards anything or anyone. From this woman, we received only selfless love in impossible amounts. That's why today we are good people who also pass on love in all its forms.

1991 was a year of arming and acquiring weapons and ammunition. With each piece of weaponry acquired or bought, we rejoiced like little children with toys. We needed it to defend ourselves because, at the beginning of our war for Croatia's freedom and independence in 1991, we had ridiculously outdated hunting weapons and pistols from 1914 and similar years. In the midst of that atmosphere, that woman's statement came, which I didn't want to listen to or understand at the time because I was young and arrogant—in my thoughts, a great warrior. Today, looking at all the horrors of wars and weapons, I think SHE was absolutely right — it would be an excellent experiment to see where humanity would end up.

This woman said to me back then:

"Gogi, my dear, I have only one wish regarding that weapon of yours that you love so much - I WISH THAT ALL WEAPONS, ALL OVER THE WORLD, IMMEDIATELY TURN INTO THE STICKS, SHORT AND LONG STICKS FOR BEANS AND TOMATOES, so let's see how wars would be fought then. I want this for all the countries in the world, so I can see you then," she protested, gesticulating angrily against war.

My late Mother, Nena Krajačić