Every morning Mnatsakan Janoyan, 80, takes the bundle of dailies and weeklies and walks across the streets of Gyumri.
The wandering seller of newspapers from Gyumri says he knows well the subtleties of his job and does not get embarrassed of working even at his age.
“I have good children, but I myself have to work as long as I can. Besides I like my job and know everything about it,” says Mnatsakan.
Veteran Mnatsakan of the Second World War remembers those years with pain. He says that he was still an under-age child when he took a weapon to protect his homeland.
“It was awful – fire, flame, smoke, blood, corpses and smelly air. Your dear friend is dying before your eyes while you are fighting against the enemy to death. I cannot… it was really horrible,” is moved Mnatsakan.
“If one wants to live, then s/he must struggle. At different ages the struggle is different. When I was young, I was good in arms. I struggled with my arms and won the war. Afterwards, I did my best for my children do not need anything. And now I’m doing everything possible for me not to be in need.”
Over the last 15 years newspaper has become his weapon, but, as he says, today’s newspapers have lost their power. Previously he had permanent customers and the newspapers were well consumed.
Every morning Mnatsakan Janoyan, 80, takes the bundle of dailies and weeklies and walks across the streets of Gyumri.
The wandering seller of newspapers from Gyumri says he knows well the subtleties of his job and does not get embarrassed of working even at his age.
“I have good children, but I myself have to work as long as I can. Besides I like my job and know everything about it,” says Mnatsakan.
Veteran Mnatsakan of the Second World War remembers those years with pain. He says that he was still an under-age child when he took a weapon to protect his homeland.
“It was awful – fire, flame, smoke, blood, corpses and smelly air. Your dear friend is dying before your eyes while you are fighting against the enemy to death. I cannot… it was really horrible,” is moved Mnatsakan.
“If one wants to live, then s/he must struggle. At different ages the struggle is different. When I was young, I was good in arms. I struggled with my arms and won the war. Afterwards, I did my best for my children do not need anything. And now I’m doing everything possible for me not to be in need.”
Over the last 15 years newspaper has become his weapon, but, as he says, today’s newspapers have lost their power. Previously he had permanent customers and the newspapers were well consumed.
“There is no more trust. Today, people do not believe in the newspapers.”
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“It is said the newspapers write false information. Sometimes the ‘Levon-Serzh’ conflict is attracting, however, recently it, too, has been spoilt. Yesterday I met one of my customers who said he would no longer buy a newspaper: it is written something, while the reality is quite different,” says Mnatsakan.
As soon as Mnatsakan noticed that people got less interested in dailies, he supplemented his goods with crosswords and lottos. At present these are more realized goods than the dailies. He says about 5 dailies are sold per day, whereas definitely more lottos and crosswords are bought, especially, figure crosswords. According to Mnatsakan these are the best balm for the people of Gyumri full of troubles. They get involved in figures and forget the reality.
“It is so difficult to live on the pension, impossible rather than difficult. I get 20,000 drams (about $55). What can I do with it, which of the utilities can I pay?”
Mnatsakan is not going to quit the “business” of a newspaper seller.
“I will have an incomplete day if I don’t take this bundle to my hand. Sometimes I miss even their smell,” says the old man, rolls the bundle and walks on with a mild smile.
Source: JNews.am