Oya wears Hannah Shirt, Lemon.
Oya wears Hannah Shirt, Lemon.
stories no.8
Oya Ayman
#iyilik
After nearly 30 years of a journalism career, Oya, who left the urban life and settled in a small village in Izmir and has been cultivating medicinal aromatic plants and summer vegetables in this village for six years, is one of the founders of the ”Buğday Association for Ecological Living (Buğday Ekolojik Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği)”. Oya advises us to approach the production process behind what we consume with awareness and questioning. We asked a few questions about ”kindness” to Oya, who inspired us with her relationship with nature and communities based on solidarity.
After nearly 30 years of a journalism career, Oya, who left the urban life and settled in a small village in Izmir and has been cultivating medicinal aromatic plants and summer vegetables in this village for six years, is one of the founders of the ”Buğday Association for Ecological Living (Buğday Ekolojik Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği)”. Oya advises us to approach the production process behind what we consume with awareness and questioning. We asked a few questions about ”kindness” to Oya, who inspired us with her relationship with nature and communities based on solidarity.
What comes to your mind when you say “kindness”?
It is not easy to describe such a basic value in a few words, nowadays, where the generally accepted values in society are turned upside down. The first definition that comes to my mind when kindness is mentioned is the act of giving without waiting for a response to benefit ourselves, someone else, another creature or a community… But on the other hand, this is not a sufficient definition. Because it is possible to define devotion in the same way. However, kindness and devotion are different concepts. The things that define the fine line between the two also vary from person to person. For some, giving without giving up oneself, for others being able to give up without thinking about yourself…
In this sense, kindness, like other concepts, can vary from person to person. For example, what you do when you think you are doing someone good can bring evil… Or someone else may not qualify a situation that you see as good. Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are doing a good thing. But there is one thing that is certain that kindness, like justice, is among the fundamental values that are eroded. So much so that the good deeds can be considered as self-devotion, the other self-devotion, and the other as foolishness. We are going through strange times where concepts, like everything else, are wasted and consumed.
Just as a good action provides a benefit for the receiver, the peace of mind felt by the doer can also be evaluated as a benefit. So, when your neighbors is hungry or his/her soul is alone, sharing your table with him/her and chatting with him/her; taking care of the child of a working mother; giving up not only the things you use but also the things you use for those who need it; feeding animals who live in the streets; supporting a non-governmental organization can be evaluated as a benefit for the doer.
There are very good responses to doing kindness in our language: giving a shoulder, giving a hand, asking for the sake, holding it by the tip, having salt in the soup, not sleeping full when your neighbors are hungry. All are equivalent to doing good.
How is it possible to stay “good” in a world where being cunning is appreciated and being kind is considered naive?
All emotions and values multiply as they ”feed”. So do good and evil too. Helping, supporting, solidarity… Those are among the things we need the most today. I do not think good and bad things change from time to time. One is not more than the other, just more dominant or more visible. Nowadays, from my point of view, the reason why evil seems more than good is because evil is more visible and discussed. The reaction to evil causes it to be discussed more, spoken about, and therefore visible. Good things, on the other hand, are not discussed, seen, made visible, and their value decreases if they are mentioned, or they can turn into arrogance and open the door to evil.
How can we make “kindness” contagious?
I am an incurable optimist. I believe kindness is contagious, and it has transformative power. In a world where being cunning is appreciated and being kind is regarded as naive, I think it is more meaningful to give all our energy not to oppose and curse and criticize evil but to open the ways of good, to build and infect the good. We can make kindness contagious by ignoring labels such as “naive” and stubbornly going along the right path.
Interviewed and translated by Deniz Saygı
What comes to your mind when you say “kindness”?
It is not easy to describe such a basic value in a few words, nowadays, where the generally accepted values in society are turned upside down. The first definition that comes to my mind when kindness is mentioned is the act of giving without waiting for a response to benefit ourselves, someone else, another creature or a community… But on the other hand, this is not a sufficient definition. Because it is possible to define devotion in the same way. However, kindness and devotion are different concepts. The things that define the fine line between the two also vary from person to person. For some, giving without giving up oneself, for others being able to give up without thinking about yourself…
In this sense, kindness, like other concepts, can vary from person to person. For example, what you do when you think you are doing someone good can bring evil… Or someone else may not qualify a situation that you see as good. Sometimes you may not even be aware that you are doing a good thing. But there is one thing that is certain that kindness, like justice, is among the fundamental values that are eroded. So much so that the good deeds can be considered as self-devotion, the other self-devotion, and the other as foolishness. We are going through strange times where concepts, like everything else, are wasted and consumed.
Just as a good action provides a benefit for the receiver, the peace of mind felt by the doer can also be evaluated as a benefit. So, when your neighbors is hungry or his/her soul is alone, sharing your table with him/her and chatting with him/her; taking care of the child of a working mother; giving up not only the things you use but also the things you use for those who need it; feeding animals who live in the streets; supporting a non-governmental organization can be evaluated as a benefit for the doer.
There are very good responses to doing kindness in our language: giving a shoulder, giving a hand, asking for the sake, holding it by the tip, having salt in the soup, not sleeping full when your neighbors are hungry. All are equivalent to doing good.
How is it possible to stay “good” in a world where being cunning is appreciated and being kind is considered naive?
All emotions and values multiply as they ”feed”. So do good and evil too. Helping, supporting, solidarity… Those are among the things we need the most today. I do not think good and bad things change from time to time. One is not more than the other, just more dominant or more visible. Nowadays, from my point of view, the reason why evil seems more than good is because evil is more visible and discussed. The reaction to evil causes it to be discussed more, spoken about, and therefore visible. Good things, on the other hand, are not discussed, seen, made visible, and their value decreases if they are mentioned, or they can turn into arrogance and open the door to evil.
How can we make “kindness” contagious?
I am an incurable optimist. I believe kindness is contagious, and it has transformative power. In a world where being cunning is appreciated and being kind is regarded as naive, I think it is more meaningful to give all our energy not to oppose and curse and criticize evil but to open the ways of good, to build and infect the good. We can make kindness contagious by ignoring labels such as “naive” and stubbornly going along the right path.
Interviewed and translated by Deniz Saygı