Terry Madison: An American in Bulgaria

published on 9/13/11 11:58 AM

Photo: Milka Dimitrova

Terry Madison: An American in Bulgaria

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What does it mean to arrive in a country for several weeks only and stay there forever? It could mean nothing other than love – love for its people and for its beautiful scenery. Twenty years ago, an American girl with Ukrainian roots first stepped on Bulgarian soil and she is still here today. To Terry Madison, Bulgaria is second home, a beautiful and cozy home at that, with kind and well-educated people.

It was 1991 and the political and economic changes had barely begun in Bulgaria. How did this country look through the eyes of a foreigner at that time?

Twenty years ago, when Terry first arrived in Bulgaria, she found a country with highly intelligent and well-educated people, friendly and proud. In her view, Bulgarians are “an outstanding people with rich culture and a rich heritage." She was enthralled by the beautiful landscape and snowy mountains, the golden sands of the Black Sea coast, the wonderful folksongs and the sound of bagpipes, and by the deep respect of Bulgarians for books. The full picture, however, included other images, as well, such as pornographic magazines on display in newsagents, shop assistants treating customers with contempt, and clerks who kept you waiting long in queues. And what is more: a country with wonderful medics and dentists who did not have good enough equipment, a country where people had low wages, prices were rising every day, but more and more expensive cars were seen on the roads. At that time, everyone wanted to emigrate to the United States, Canada, or Europe. As Terry Madison recalls. “If their dreams could be fulfilled, I would have probably been left alone here - one American in this magnificent country”. One of Terry Madison’s first jobs in Bulgaria was at the Bulgarian National Radio – in the section producing radio programmes in foreign languages.

Over the past seven years in Bulgaria, Terry Madison devoted herself to familiarizing children with universal human values and virtues. A foundation that she manages, called “Love This Child”, has trained teachers to teach this discipline at school. She hopes that it will enter the school curriculum because, Terry says, these are the gems of human nature. Children possess these virtues, but they should be reminded of honesty, respect for others, fairness, patience, generosity, she argues.

"When I came to Bulgaria, I experienced something like a culture shock, seeing that most Bulgarians do not have high self-esteem”, Terry Madison recalls further. She wasamazed to see how intelligent and highly educated Bulgarians did not seem to be aware of their options. Today, Terry says, young people are freer and have more determination and courage to do things that a previous generation did not dare to do. And I still think that Bulgarians underestimate what a wonderful country they have and what great persons live here. I stayed here mostly because of the people”.

Translated by: Rossitsa Petcova

По публикацията работи: Milka Dimitrova

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Terry Madison: An American in Bulgaria

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