January 19, 2018
In a sequence of the film Apocalypse Now, the US Army Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) has gone up to the heart of the darkness of the Cambodian jungle to kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who does not obey the orders of the High Command. Willard talks with Kurtz to find out the reasons which have led him to that small kingdom where madness prevails.
Kurtz tells him a terrible experience of the war, as a result of which was born his admiration for the guerrillas of Vietcong. At the end of his monologue he said: “With ten thousand of these men I would conquer the world!”
A few days ago I saw a TV programme in the format of a report. In this a reporter was chasing a young man who manages a travel agency: he got up at five, took photocopies, gave them out, returned to the office, organised travel and attended clients. He had lunch quickly to deliver more advertising about his agency. In addition, at weekends he helped his father, who has a bar. This young man organised a trip from Madrid to Cullera Beach and only took up 20 seats. He lost money, but apparently he managed it very well. The story ended with the young man getting on the bus with his 20 clients.
The other day, a young Aragonese woman aged 18 years that got 13.78 out of 10 (even though it is unbelievable, it is possible) in the test of selectivity, the highest note of Aragon, was interviewed. The journalist asked her how she had achieved it and the girl, with a maturity that I would like to have, answered him: studying and working a lot. In addition, she plays the piano, knows English and studies Chinese! She wants to be a doctor like her father and grandfather. I have no doubt that she will be, but not only because of her grades, but because of her manner of speaking.
Then I thought about what Kurtz said: With ten thousand young people I would conquer the world! With this desire, this crisis is a tempest in a teapot. They can do it and therefore we will be able to do it. God help them in their work and in their studies! With people like them there is no fear.
Alejandro Perez Benedicto
