During my time in Turkey I often observed social situations where respect is given because of status or wealth. That attitude is common in many places, but I find it troubling: people who expect deference because of their position sometimes lack basic moral decency or consideration for others.
I prefer the idea that respect should be earned. Yet last week I met an elderly woman who earned my respect immediately.
The 100-year-old woman — or perhaps older?
Our encounter was unplanned and therefore all the more memorable. We were exploring quiet lanes in the village of Maral, not far from the border with Georgia. This part of Turkey has escaped the mass-tourism development seen on the western and southern coasts.
Tradition and everyday culture remain visible. High mountains, folded valleys and dense pine forests keep the area remote and protected from large-scale development, preserving the village character.
We met a local beekeeper tending his hives in a garden. Seated on the doorstep of his wooden house was an elderly woman introduced as his great-grandmother. When we asked her age she replied,
“I am not sure but I know I am more than 100.”
Her exact age mattered less than the stories reflected in her face and posture. She looked like someone whose life alone could fill several history books.
Her life across a century
She remembered a time when the region was under Russian influence and soldiers patrolled the mountain roads. As a child she rode a horse; cars were not yet common in that area.
She spoke of turbulent years around the Turkish War of Independence, declared in 1919. As a young girl she first heard the name Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who led the struggle and later became the founder of the Republic of Turkey.
In 1923, when borders were being decided, villagers gathered at a meeting to choose whether to remain under Soviet influence (what is now Georgia) or join the new Republic of Turkey.
Her mother insisted the family become citizens of Turkey.
She was happy to have her photograph taken and was fascinated when I showed her the image on my camera screen. Her curiosity about such a simple modern convenience was charming.
Her life has been long and full of changes, yet she greeted strangers with warm hospitality. That combination of endurance, memory and generosity left a strong impression on me. In my view she represents values that outshine the hollow respect often afforded to wealth or fame.
Reader’s question: What do you think? Has this woman earned your respect?