KBO

Keep Buggering On

“Keep buggering on,” or, in more polite company, abbreviated to the initials KBO, was Winston Churchill’s way of saying keep going on, even though the journey is rough, even though you are tired, and even though you are moving forward while making bumbling mistakes.  As the International Churchill Society puts it, “Churchill understood the dangers of defeatism and poor morale as a soldier and leader, so he set the example needed to inspire others around him… and he kept ‘buggering on.’”

This was the phrase that kept coming to my mind during a recent visit to Macedonia. In sitting down and eating, drinking, laughing, talking, and oftentimes soberly reflecting on what is going on not only in Macedonia, but in people’s individual lives, I kept coming back to this phrase as it seemed to encapsulate, for me at least, a single expression of what Macedonia needs.

Yes, there is a new government in Macedonia and a great deal of hope has been placed on this new government’s ability to turn things around, economically at least, but there is still this lingering, nagging, worrying thought that, perhaps, things may not get better.  Aside from the issue of personal finances and feeding and taking care of your family – important as that is – there are a host of other issues that Macedonians are worried about; mankind, after all, is much more than homo economicus. And thank goodness for that! Life would be a terrible burden if all we thought about is money.

I think that, mentally, intellectually, Macedonians are worn out from the past many years of uncertainty about their futures, about the futures of their children and grandchildren, and those yet to be born.  There have been constant pressures from neighboring countries, as well as outside actors such as the US State Department, the EU, and NATO, to give up your name, your identity, and your dignity, to name but three, in return for….what, exactly?  Sure, you have NATO membership, but young people keep leaving and neighbors keep demanding another pound of proverbial flesh from the Macedonian body.  All of this is tiresome, irksome, and highly unsettling.  Because of its internal contradictions and inconsistencies, the EU makes its demands, then moves the goalposts, and ultimately fails to live up to its promises and so-called “values.” And Macedonians know that this will continue. Emotionally, all of this can drain a person, individually, or a people, corporately.  It doesn’t have to, but it can, and it does and that’s the thing. It takes its toll, and it can be a heavy one.

Culturally, I always look for good things in Macedonia, and in Macedonians, because you have something unique to offer each other and the world. And every time I’m in Macedonia I see good things – and learn new things – in this area of life.  Whether it is new wineries and new wines (one of my favorite things in Macedonia), new or expanding opportunities for travel and tourism in the country, victories in sports or new and upcoming players in sports, or the expanding reach of Macedonian music, art, literature, I always look for – and see – good things happening.  I hope you can too; sometimes, you merely need look right around the proverbial corner.  

Spiritually, I do see sparks of hope. Macedonians are deeply conservative when it comes to things spiritual, and while the Macedonian Orthodox Church is the spiritual leader in areas of faith in the country, there is a place for good people of all faiths, because the absence of faith in God is not a belief in nothing, but a belief in everything: every fad, every new “religion,” every dangerous thought, every whatever, often all at the same time.  My urgent prayer for Macedonia – and for the Macedonian Orthodox Church – is that there is a spiritual revival across the country and wherever, in the world, Macedonians live, love, and laugh.  And my prayer is that it begins with the Macedonian Orthodox Church and Orthodox faithful.  As a member of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, I pledge and pray to do my part in this.

My recent trip to Macedonia gave me glimpses, and sometimes a much deeper insight, into people hurting, people struggling, people worrying.  But it also gave me glimpses, and sometimes a much deeper insight, into people who know that yes, times are often tough, but we will keep buggering on, we will keep moving and working toward something better, if not for ourselves, then definitely for our children, our grandchildren, and those yet to be born.

And it is that attitude that ultimately gives me – and them – hope: because hope is a demanding virtue, demanding that you first, have courage, and then take action, all of which requires energy.

I remember when I first set foot in Macedonia nearly three decades ago: people would often shrug their shoulders, sigh, and say “Well, we’ll survive.”  While understandable, this attitude is one of defeatism and poor morale, and dangerous.  To combat that attitude, I want Macedonia to do more than just survive – I want Macedonia to thrive.  And I know Macedonians can thrive because I have seen them thrive.  Yes, sometimes just surviving is all we can do, and we just need to keep buggering on.  But remember that beyond all the seeming trouble in the world – both real and imagined – is something much better – but it is up to you to make it better. It’s up to you to take that step and then the next one. Do that and you’ll do fine.