Dream of a Roma Girl on a White Horse
It is highly unlikely that the BBC will ever show you an image like this one. Years of research have demonstrated that when viewers are confronted with such a picture, they don’t feel any sympathy for the little girl.
You are the viewer, so let’s say that, according to your standards, this little girl is living too wonderful a life for you to feel sorry for her. And that’s because of the television set.
Could it be that the BBC researchers are wrong? Or are we, as human beings, so desperately confused that we can no longer see or understand what is right in front of us?
I’m not the BBC, so I have no qualms about showing you this picture. I can do so because I have faith in you. I trust that you will very quickly see beyond the fact that the little girl’s grandmother owns a television set. With millions of people replacing their old TVs, all you need is a little patience, and soon enough, you could get yourself a television just like this one—straight from the rubbish dump.
Now that you know this, we can move past your brief pang of envy at this little girl’s supposed “prosperity” and try to see the real picture.
Ruxandra lives with her grandparents in Craica, Baia Mare. Last year, the mayor tried to demolish their home, but her grandmother’s determination and heroic fight prevented that from happening. The fear of losing their home is still there—every day, every hour, every moment. Yet no matter how hard her life may be, Ruxandra, like any other child, can watch a cartoon and dream. Neither the abuses perpetrated by the local authorities nor the discrimination she faces daily can take away her ability to dream.
I love this image because, at that very moment—despite her dirty clothes and bare feet, despite sitting on that old couch—Ruxandra is the blonde girl on that white horse.
Moments like this should remind you that we are all human beings. So if you can’t see past her television set, then it’s your loss.
But don’t blame the misery of our world on us. Blame it on yourself.
