Patriotism in the way of young people
In every era, each person has their own way of showing patriotism, a way unique to their generation... With the country at peace and developing, we have the opportunity to express our patriotic feelings in our own way, among countless choices.
Another school year is approaching, and we'll once again see a familiar image, one that embodies the vibrant spirit of youth: young volunteers in their blue shirts, working tirelessly under the scorching sun or pouring rain, wholeheartedly supporting students and new university graduates before, during, and after exams. That same color, that same enthusiasm, can easily be found on every road across the country. They help people harvest crops, fight, escape, and overcome the consequences of natural disasters... That blue color has perhaps become a profound and vigorous expression of Vietnamese cultural spirit.
That's what youth is like: always dynamic, sensitive, always carrying within them a desire to contribute and a spirit of creativity. And in whatever work they do, I still sense in their hearts a fervent and profound love for their country...
Each era and each person has their own way of showing patriotism, a way unique to their generation. We have admired the youthful hearts of Tran Quoc Toan, Kim Dong..., and, a little older, the Trung Sisters, Tran Binh Trong, Nguyen Tat Thanh, and countless young heroes, from leaders to soldiers, militiamen, and civilian workers... in modern times. From those who pioneered the path to national liberation to the generations of young men and women who sacrificed themselves for independence, freedom, and national unity... they all become immortal in the memories of future generations.
On the other hand, weren't writers like Thế Lữ, Chế Lan Viên, Xuân Diệu, Vũ Trọng Phụng, Nam Cao, Hàn Mặc Tử, Khái Hưng, Nhất Linh, Thạch Lam, and others also starting their careers at a very young age? In their early twenties, this elite generation shaped the face of modern Vietnamese literature by finding, building, and affirming a new direction for Vietnamese literature, creating one of the fundamental prerequisites for building an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity.
Each individual or group of people expressed their patriotism in different ways, due to their inclinations, talents, and opportunities to choose their attitudes and behaviors. Even within the same era, some enthusiastically engaged in direct struggle against the enemy, while others "used their pens as weapons against the regime / Using poetry as bombs and bullets to destroy tyranny" (Song Hong); some expressed their patriotism through works that directly attacked and condemned the enemy or propagated revolutionary ideals, while others quietly expressed their feelings in poignant patriotic poems, in love with traditional values, and in love with the Vietnamese language... All were acts of dedication to the Fatherland.
I often ask my students and trainees whether, when teaching about Nguyen Trai, we should guide them towards his example of patriotism. My answer is no, because I understand that patriotism is not the exclusive right of anyone, and no one can force people to express their patriotism in the way the ancients did. The country is at peace and developing, and we have the opportunity to express our patriotic feelings in our own way, among countless choices.
We have witnessed countless young people volunteering on the front lines of the pandemic a few years ago, or young people sacrificing themselves to save people from drowning, all of which inspire admiration. The story of Phung Ba Hung, a young man from Duong Lieu commune, Hoai Duc district, who went to Hanoi to study and then returned to establish a reading room for rural children in his living room, accumulating over 10,000 books in over 10 years, and nurturing the dream of studying library science in the US to transform libraries into community cultural centers; the story of some teachers in Ha Tinh who painted hundreds of meters of murals on the walls of communes in Vu Quang and Huong Son districts to beautify their homeland... all are expressions of patriotism. And that patriotism can be expressed in the smallest, most humble gestures, such as planting a tree, refraining from eating wild animals, or even simply bending down to pick up a cigarette butt from the roadside and putting it in a trash bag or bin...
The event of the Vietnamese U23 football team winning the runner-up position in Changzhou years ago created a new and great source of inspiration for our people, especially the youth. After that event, many young people used the song "Proudly Sing Forever, Vietnam" as their phone ringtone. To be honest, I myself was once captivated by this song when it was filmed with scenes of mothers in traditional ethnic costumes from the highlands threshing rice, a hot air balloon soaring majestically in the sky, terraced rice fields chasing each other up the mountain, and especially the image of young people wearing red shirts with yellow stars performing energetic and joyful dances. My impression of the young people's enthusiasm for their homeland was partly sparked by that.
And then, undeniably, I feel love and admiration for the young people on their motorbike journeys to the remote corners of the country, on the high mountain passes and precipices of Cao Bang or Ha Giang, along the vast coastlines of Binh Dinh and Ca Mau, or the expansive canals and endless fields of the Mekong Delta... Sometimes we see these actions as a carefree, adventurous hobby with a touch of the adventurous spirit of youth. But ultimately, these actions are surely driven by a deep-seated emotion that we and they themselves sometimes fail to recognize: a deep, blood-and-flesh connection to every "strand of vegetable, every inch of land" of their homeland. Sometimes we see the filming and distribution of their videos as what we call "showing off," "showing off," "seeking likes," or "gaining views," but ultimately, their actions (which I once doubted and felt a little unsympathetic to) are contributing greatly to promoting the beautiful image of our mountains and rivers, and they do so with the hearts of youth always beating in sync with the vibrant rhythm of life.
Also aiming to promote the image of Vietnam and its people, Nguyen Thi Ha Trang (Hanoi) creatively creates digital content to introduce Vietnam to international friends with the belief: "On those occasions (attending international events - author's note), I always strive to introduce beautiful and developed Vietnam to my Korean friends in particular and the international community in general. I am proud to be a daughter of Vietnam."
However, not all young people are patriotic or have the opportunity to express their patriotism. Perhaps everyone feels pain, shame, and even hurt when reading news about a young person involved in trafficking women and children abroad, or about a young person whose actions tarnish the image of Vietnamese people in the eyes of the world... I would call them "the misguided children." Of course, that's another side of life.
Sometimes, when I see or hear about the contributions of young people, a line from Chế Lan Viên's poem suddenly echoes in my mind."Star of Victory":
Oh, my homeland, I love you like my own flesh and blood.
Like our parents, like our wife, like our husband...