(Clearwisdom.net) My aunt's husband is 81 years old. He was a respected higher level party official before he retired. In the year before last, he decided to write his memoirs, so that his relatives and future generations could benefit from his experience.
My uncle started to recall the past and write. He finished dozens of pages in a month. He was proud of himself and very excited to share the most notable moments of his life. Before he finished, he could not wait to let his best friends read what he had written so far. Most of his friends were high-ranking officials. However, their responses shocked my uncle. They not only failed to praise his writing but even criticized it.
One friend, with the surname Wang said, “Currently all of the CCP [Communist Party] officials are corrupt. Public resentment is seething. The CCP is notorious for its corruption. Anyone with a discerning eye wants to abandon it. You still sing their praises and let yourself get swept away by their propaganda. I think it is not a wise action.” My uncle was stunned.
Another friend named Zhao said, “It was written long ago: 'The one who wins the people wins the country, and vice versa'. Now the CCP has lost the people. People always have bad words when mentioning it. It definitely will collapse. Although it has not yet collapsed, no one cares about those so-called “achievements” you have done for it. As soon as it disintegrates, all scores will be settled. By then, all of the “achievements” you have recorded will definitely be evidence used against you. Listen to me, do not write the memoirs. If you have too much time on your hands, you can take a walk outside, which would be better than if you closed the door and worked on this memoir, listing only things that will incriminate you.” My uncle was sweating while he listened to these harsh words. However, he thought it over and felt that what they said was, while unpleasant, candid advice. He nodded and said, “What you said is right. Please let me think it over.”
My uncle felt more clearheaded after hearing his friends' feedback. He went to the home of another friend, by the name of Liu. Liu was well-known to have insightful and unique ideas. After hearing my uncle's story, he took a book from his bookshelf, titled Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and gave it to my uncle. Liu said to him, “My friend, although it is not thick, it can be regarded as an outstanding piece of writing. Every sentence is full of wisdom. I was enlightened after I finished the book. Both Lao Wang and Lao Zhao said the words made sense. Whether you continue your memoirs or not, you will know what to do after you carefully read it through.” My uncle took the book and said, “Okay, okay, I will go back to read it through carefully.”
My uncle took the book home. After dinner, he did not go out for a walk or watch TV. He concentrated on reading. He was shocked and felt scared. He came to understand that the CCP from its inception was pure evil. What he had done by following it was a crime. It was a crime to fight with landlords. It was a crime to persecute those who spoke out against the CCP. He realized that the repressive political movements in which he had participated, when he physically attacked innocent people, were crimes. The truth in the book dissolved the dark cloud in front of his eyes. He felt that he saw light in front of him. He felt ashamed when looking at the memoirs he had just started. He did not have any hesitation: He burned his memoirs and went out to share his experiences with his old and dear friends.
