As I pondered the origin of the word "nonsense," patriotism came inexplicably to mind. Patriotism had always preoccupied my thoughts, at least until my final year of middle school. In those early school days, patriots surrounded me. When I referred to them as patriots, I imagined them occupying some lofty realm-noble, exalted, and unreachable. Yet as I advanced through middle school and entered high school, I began engaging in conversation with these once distant, admired figures. Soon, my interactions expanded to Marxists. I immersed myself deeply in the writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Kropotkin, Mikhail Bakunin, Mao, Enver Hoxha, Ernesto, Fidel, and others. At the time, I believed nothing was beyond our grasp. Then, inevitably, came confrontations with nationalist factions-violent clashes, fierce debates, street fights, even deaths. Then followed bank robberies, bombings, attacks on government buildings-events that unfolded relentlessly until September 12th shattered our lives, bringing them to an abrupt halt.