Or maybe I am just being nearsighted and we are talking Myopia... What was it really like to live in Tchingiler or for that matter any small Armenian village one hundred years ago. I am sure that there were good times and bad depending on the economy, the degree of oppression and how isolated you could keep yourself.
Or perhaps it would depend on your business relationships with other ethnic groups. Maybe it depended on the respect of others that you may have earned. Or bribes... There are any number of scenarios you could come up with that could make living in this past a hell or heaven. And I am sure it was a dynamic relationship influenced by deeds, prejudices and chance.
What was the average life expectancy back then? Or the mortality rate at birth?
What was the attitude of the average Armenian that lived in these villages? Were they happy?
One can dream about living back in those days. It would be an education to be able to go back in time to see what it was really like. Some of us might even decide to stay and live in the past. Others might realize how lucky they are to live where and when they do today. I for one would like to go back and see... Just as a vacation mind you. But depending on what I found, it may be worth living a shorter quality life than one of quantity. Either way, I could brush up on my Armenian (-'