All in One Voice

The sky opened over Valencia and its consequences have filled us with horror and sadness. In the first moment of such a magnitude disaster, anger, rage, and discouragement arise, which can drag us into a bottomless pit and lead us to seek culprits for our misfortunes. After the chaos of the first days, perhaps it is time to set aside negative feelings for later and think about rebuilding what the water took away, including our state of mind.

In solidarity with those who have lost their lives or part of it, all leisure activities were halted, including those organized by the Fogueres commissions. Out of respect and empathy, any display of joy was inappropriate, but if we want to gather strength to maintain support, we must return to normalcy, balancing it with the new reality and not forgetting those who will need us for a long time.

Precisely, my commission will resume the 'XIII edition of Don Juan Tenorio' next Friday, postponed due to circumstances. It is the first time in thirteen years that we will not celebrate it on the 'Night of All Saints', not even the pandemic prevented a virtual version, but we considered that changing the date was better than canceling because it would be a triumph of discouragement. It will be a cultural event, but one where many people will gather, ready to escape routine and with their minds in 'restart mode'. Other commissions and many associations will also resume their activities because life must be lived between joys or tragedies.

In light of certain behaviors, I feel increasingly proud to be a 'foguerer'. My commission is one of the largest, and among so many people, diversity prevails in all facets, but respect has been winning over discord for many years. If we are capable of rowing in the same direction to achieve the goals we set, success is assured. The opposite would only create unrest, unnecessary rivalry, and unhappiness. We are happy, and that emotional state predisposes us to collaborate with those in need.

As our anthem says, 'all in one voice' we will solve problems, emerge from the crisis, and be happy again.