The Book of Eli and a Flower lady
Several days ago I went to the movie theatre with my friends to see The Book of Eli. I was really expected a lot from the movie. I thought it is another action with bad and good guy. I wasn’t expecting the plot would inspire me. I was wrong. The movie turned out to be great. The whole movie is turning around the book, which turns to be the Bible.
Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a journey for 30 years, walking west across America after a cataclysmic war that turned the earth into a total wasteland. The world has become a lawless civilization where people must kill or be killed. The barren roads belong to gangs of cutthroats who rob and kill for water, a pair of shoes, a lighter, or just for fun. Eli is a peaceful man who only acts in self defense, and becomes a warrior with unbelievable killing skills when he is challenged. After the war and the "Big Flash", Eli was guided by a higher power to a hidden book and given the task of protecting the book and taking it to its final destination. Eli guards the book with his life, because he knows that the book is the only hope that humanity has for its future.
When Eli was asked to describe the old times he said that people had not appreciated what they had: the air, the water, the food and other simple things that became a subject for killing in the future. I do agree with him. We talk a lot about the future cataclysm, but can we see the beauty of the current moment and enjoy the moment of happiness.
This movie is also made me ashamed of the fact that I have not read the Bible yet. The book that was turned into an idol was scaring me and even caused disputable feeling, because so many people were starting wars and killing other in the name of it. But I guess it is really powerful and need to be kept for other generations and be as it may it does have the wisdom of generations in it.
On our way home, just a few steps from the movie theatre there was a lady selling flowers. I must say it was late and really cold outside 
approximately -15 C. She was about 70 years old like my own grandmother. She asked us to buy some flowers and complained that she is really cold and wanted to go home, but has some flowers left. We were not going to buy flowers, but without discussing it stopped and started looking for money. I opened my purse and at the same time Andrii (who is a great friend of mine and who always insire me for self development) was looking for his money. I must admit that I had only UAH 100 in one note (around $15) and some cents in my purse, so I was picking up some cent when I saw Andrii giving her UAH 100 saying “Please, promise you will go home now”.
Andrii gave her the money without spending a second to think about whether it is right or wrong. This is a lot of money for pensioners in Ukraine, as the average pension is UAH 700, which is less than $100. That moment I felt it was so right and natural. I was ashamed of my cents and put the purse away. She was shocked and with tears in her eyes said I wish you happiness and that you never go through such hardships in your grey age. I was touched. She blessed us.
On my way home I was thinking about other older Ukrainian people that go through the same hardships. We are so used to see them on streets that nobody really pays any attention. Posh cars are driving the streets, while poor pensioners that worked hard all they life stand on stops waiting for public transport. It is scary to be a pensioner in Ukraine, for example, my granny was crying when she retired, because she was scared of future.
Living in US for a while and working in a restaurant I saw a lot of really old people, who were coming to restaurant on nice cars and they well-dressed and smiling. I have never seen so many smiling old people in my life. I hope one day our Ukrainian pensioners would look the same way. I wish this not only for us in future, but for contemporary pople who are put into a situation of existense and not living.
