A
stimulating anonymous text takes a tour of some of the most complex moments of
the 20th century. It has been circulating for months in English, German, and
Spanish. Spain has become popular through the actor David V. Muro. "Today
we complain because we have to wear masks," says the actor.
For David Muro, one of the reasons why this
text has been so successful is "because it helps us to look back and see
how everything has changed," he explains. "You have to see things in
perspective, and in Spain, We have a very long history, but a very short
memory."
Amid so much
complaint and low morale, the Spanish actor David Muro began to publish a
series of videos on Instagram that he called "I speak to my phone."
The title of
his videos is very descriptive: Muro “makes reflections aloud in front of his
mobile”, as he recently told Verne. And one of his latest videos has become a
viral phenomenon, although in this case, it is not a homegrown text. Actually,
it is a version of one entitled Imagine being born in 1900, which has been
circulating for months on social networks in different languages.
"I
recorded myself while I was going down the street to see a friend, without any
pretense, and now I can hardly look at my mobile because of the
notifications," he said, surprised by the success of the video. He
published it on September 30 on his Instagram account, where he has exceeded
2.5 million views. From there, it has jumped to other social networks, and even
WhatsApp, where it has been shared ad nauseam.
The text has been circulating for months in
English, German, and Spanish.
It is
unknown who is the true author of the text, which has been circulating on
social networks for months. Some of the first versions assure that it is a text
translated from German. The oldest German version that we are aware of is that
of Luc de Witte, published on May 17. However, de Witte himself has confirmed
not to be the original author.
We leave you
with the full version in the text format. According to Muro, the success of the
text is "because it helps us to look back and see how everything has
changed." We fully agree.
TEXT:
Imagine
you were born in 1900
- Imagine for a moment that you were born in 1900. When you are 14 years old, World War I begins and ends when you are 18 with a death toll of 22 million. Shortly after, a global pandemic, the Spanish flu, appears, killing 50 million people.
- And you are alive and 20 years old. When you are 29 years old, you survive the global economic crisis, which began with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment, and famine.
- When you are 33, the Nazis come to power. When you are 39 years old, World War II begins and ends when you are 45 years old, with a death toll of 60 million. In the Holocaust, 6 million Jews die.
- When you are 52 years old, the Korean War begins. When you are 64 years old, the Vietnam War begins and ends when you are 75 years old.
- A child born in 1985 thinks that his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they have survived various wars and catastrophes. Today we find all the comforts in a new world, in the midst of a new pandemic.
- People complain that for several weeks they must be confined to their houses, they have electricity, cell phones, food, hot water, and a secure roof over their heads. None of that existed at other times. But humanity survived those circumstances and they never lost their joie de vivre.
- Today we complain because we have to wear a mask to enter supermarkets. A small change in our perspective can work miracles. We are going to thank you and I that we are alive and we are going to do everything necessary to protect and help each other.
