Since I was a child, my family, society, and teachers taught me not to betray, not to compromise principles out of convenience, and not to abandon what you sincerely believe in just because another path might be easier, free of challenges and contradictions.
That is why this has been a flag I have never lowered, and, honestly, I feel profoundly proud of it. I do not boast about it, nor do I consider myself worthy of admiration or an example to follow because of it; I am simply a person who, by free and spontaneous will, decided that whether they understand you or not, judge you or not, or whether good or bad winds blow, our loyalty is the most certain and secure thing we have. It is the support we cling to with all our strength when the tides of neglect and opportunism rise.
Loyalty is not simple, at least not in these times, when some suddenly change their skin and others wear whichever skin suits them. Even worse are those who say they wear your same skin but are ready to mercilessly lynch you from their “extreme” version of the “right,” which ignores the nuances of life and ultimately gets lost in an egocentric limbo that leaves their “stances” in a poor state.
I have learned that the most loyal is not always the one who shouts it the loudest. Sometimes much is done in silence, and it is done because someone who has absolute certainty about the path they chose does not need too many cheers. They do what is right—or at least what they believe is right—without being exempt from human errors.
But that takes a lot of heart; it takes a lot of confidence, trust, and decisiveness. Perhaps that is why I know so many fools of soul and heart—not because they are ignorant but because they embrace their cause without hesitation or excuses.
Loyalty is a choice that, if true, admits no renunciations or weaknesses, much less when what you love, what you consider just, is threatened. It is not negotiated, not exchanged, not corrupted by maybe’s or perhaps’s.
And no, it is not about stubborn militancy; it is about a genuine and profound conviction that prevents betrayal. It is also a certainty accompanied by commitment, and yet it does not give up the search for a better tomorrow, nor does it settle for what has been done if more can be achieved.
Sure, there will be those who don't understand what I'm talking about, there will be those who say that nothing in this text concerns them, and there will be those who ask why be loyal if selling their values to the highest bidder makes life easier. There will even be those who would give everything today to return to the path they left behind, those who have felt firsthand the weight of tarnishing what once guided their steps, and perhaps they don't say it out of pride or because there is no possible solution anymore.
But, on the other hand, there will be those who understand that loyalty is as valuable as gold in these times, and who will look closely and with greater admiration at those who have never renounced their truth, have lived by it, and are willing to die for it.
If it weren't for that immeasurable loyalty, sometimes stoic, I keep asking myself every day, after a simple glance at the surrounding world, what would become of us?
(Image taken from Trabajadores)
(Taken from Granma)
