Women's Portraits

Irena Dranseikienė

My father was a teacher, a mother – a housewife. I was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. My father died, when I was 3 years old, he was a soldier-volunteer, a partisan. I was married, now I am 6 years as a widow. I have a son and a daughter and two grandchildren.

I am satisfied about my life. My opinion is that it is better for one to enjoy the birds, but not to complain, that one does not have wings. I live in what is real. I enjoy life. When I feel tired, turn off the phone and go into the woods. My hobby is driving a car, this is a way I relax, visiting beautiful places.

Over the years, I convinced that the greatest thing in my life is a family. I was happiest when I got married and had my children. I think I did right taking care of my family, not career at that time. The biggest influence on me had my mother, I loved her much, listened to what she says.  It has not been in my life a single day, you would like to delete. I grew up and lived among the honest and hardworking people. Values ​​were related to human survival, work, relationships, values in ones life I think occur spontaneously, but maybe they come from God.

Family means everything to me, no work, no money or things bring to human happiness. Knowing that I have a family makes me full of happiness. Now I live alone, my son lives in Vilnius, daughter - in America, but our relationship is strong, we love each other, and feel in your hearts we are all very close.

My work during the period between 40 and 60 years was very interesting, I was working in “Žinija” Society, a wide variety of interesting lectures we organized, famous and interesting lecturers came. Daily life was like a holiday. I had a garden, was growing vegetables, flowers, we built the house. This period was intense and meaningful.

It is fun to remember the past, to feel happy with what I had. My life was neither very easy, nor too hard. Difficulties we tried to solve the whole family, my husband was a careful man, took care of his family.

Being at age 55 years, I became unemployed.  Till that time I have worked in the Puppet Theater ticket office and “Žinija” company. I came to the Women's Employment Information Centre and started working as a volunteer. Soon became interested in the activities of Lithuanian Social Democratic Party. More and more I began to devote of my time to this political party. Now I am evolved in political activity very much, for several years I am an adviser of Lithuanian Parliament member Birutė Vėsaitė, the previous director of Kaunas Women’s Employment information centre. I am a volunteer of this nongovernmental women’s organization till now. I am Socialist Parties chairwoman of the group, a responsible coordinator, like to organize and attend meetings and conferences.

I am one of those people who take the time to think. My job is that I spend a lot of time communicating with people, listening to the problems of unemployment. After that I really want to be alone, I do not want any society, and avoid people for a while. But than, I easy recover and then I like to take part in public political activities again.

I use all modern means of communication, I can not imagine life without them. My plans for the future? I'm not planning to, I just live. Sometimes I feel that somehow I am opposed to the progress, I do not want to be young. My house interior is created 40 years ago, I like retro music, natural foods. My cat Murfė, flowers, candles provide a warm, when I'm at home alone. The life is going so fast, I do not think that will live after the year or other. Living today, a beautiful dress, new shoes or scarf make me happy. And death? “Death - is entering into an everlasting glow”, as the said Victor Hugo. What I would advise to younger generations? Each generation learns from its own experience”.

Irena Dranseikienė