In times like these, of varied restrictions and shortcomings, it’s essential to remember that social norms remain valid and not by imposition, but by a responsible way of coexisting and respecting each other and everyone among themselves.

You can be fed up with piling problems, but reasoning must prevail. Always be aware of the context in which Cubans live their lives, who move forward but always encounter obstacles, which does not justify people taking it out on their neighbors.

Family, neighbors, friends and co-workers reveal themselves as places to exchange and even - why not - release the bad energies that overflow us.

Going fast and all the time “against traffic” will not solve the difficulties that beset us in empty markets, food stalls with inflated prices, pharmacies waiting for medicines, public health centers with lack of personnel and resources, or transportation that is increasingly absent and with a private counterpart setting fares by the car owners, although limited fares have already been issued.

Faced with such a cluster of very rough situations, among which we must include power outages derived from fuel shortages and the withdrawal and maintenance of some power plants, individuals must be prepared so that stress does not undermine us and we forget the ways of coexistence.

In this crisis situation we are immersed, firstly due to the intensified North American blockade and secondly due to domestic insufficiencies, everyday life must survive, which implies that work centers, schools and the main national productive activities, called upon to alleviate the foreign currency deficit and substitute imports to find fresh air to breathe into the domestic economic systems.

With so much against some men and women, 80% of whom have always lived under the consequences of Washington's relentless war against Cuba, tend to have a bad mood and spread it everywhere, without taking into account the age or sex of the object of such outbursts of moods, they can also be one or many.

It’s worth remembering how good it’s to be polite, to say thank you, to give way, to support others. Recently this editor ran into two elderly women (I'm talking about people who were over eighty odds). One of them, using a cane, was crossing a street with a lot of pothholes and I quickly helped her to the other side of the street on the sidewalk, which luckily was in better shape than the street.

Another lady was asking for the last one in line to collect her paycheck. I explained that until 11 a.m. she had priority over the line - it should always be like this - and that she didn’t need to stand in line at the Metropolitan Bank of Monaco, always with many people in line. She went and verified that my indication was real. As we left with the money in her purse, she thanked me; she also did the previous one. It was all so easy and very satisfying.

We must imitate good actions and banish individualism and mistreatment, with emphasis on the most vulnerable, very abundant in an aging population like Cuba.

Always reaching out and sharing the little we have ennobles and elevates the spirit. Seeing with a loving gaze - and not just contemplative - children, elders, the sick. Give without expecting anything in return, not even that they will have the same attitude with you later. The important thing is to set an example and join those with the same feelings, which luckily are not few. We cannot leave more space for insensitive people.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff