I've often wondered what it's like to live in a war zone such as Ukraine, or Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon. How does a woman go about finding food for her family, a simple act of living the day-to-day in a
Beautifully written, Sue. This same tragedy of GREED, plays out in so many places around the world. We in the US have been spared. So far. Californians have bins of food and supplies put by, pretending to prepare for earthquakes. Now we are just glad to have them, earthquake or not...
It's always a good idea to keep the larder full and the fuel tank no lower than half full. You never know what kind of shenanigans is going to keep you sheltering in place. (COVID anyone?) She at least had the remains of her garden. We struggle just to grow a few potatoes, garlic and onions. A garden like hers takes a steep learning curve and dedication. I wonder if she is still alive these days? BTW, Putin didn't show up for today's meeting. And the beat goes on .....
And Texas Governor Abbot ( and his billionaire donors) got a bill passed that takes funding away from Texas public schools and gives it to vouchers for ( religion based) private schools... and the beat goes on.
Sorry...I was a bit off. I simply meant it as a comment on the greed that is prevalent everywhere we turn and how, yes, "the beat goes on". Maybe it just seems so lately. I am distraught.
Instead of tiny Nixon sized dosed of greed and corruption, we're getting the firehose dosage. I've never seen this level of blatant, in-your-face-fuck-you-all insults from a leader before. It's stuns me to the core. He truly is the anti-Christ enthralling legions; however, I do see the tide rising to sweep him away. Norway inviting Obama in place of Trump. The Saudi Prince (or was that AI) saying he regretted inviting Trump to negotiate peace deals. He said instead it was like being in one of Trump's reality shows. He came to collect tribute and be treated like a king, not offer trade incentives. And then there's the meeting in Turkey for Ukraine's ceasefire. Trump tells Zelensky not to talk to Putin until he talks to him. Then both of those bastards bail. Of course, you know all this, but I guess I just have to list the travesties in case I'm hallucinating all this stuff. Tell me I'm having a nightmare here and to wake the hell up. You're actually more worried about people getting deported there? I don't blame you. It's unimaginable and happening so fast.
I've often wondered about managing one's day to day in a war zone, too, Sue. Good weather, foul weather, hot or freezing, one has to figure it out, or not. Many adjust to trauma, not normalize it, but figure it out. Sometimes the trauma ends, sometimes it continues. A close work friend has most of his family in Israel and he and I often talk about what becomes normal in one's life. For his family, it's not knowing if they'll be called up to serve - again - and if so, for how long. He said, "But my family still has kids in school, they have sports games, they go to the grocery store, they don't stop living." Beautiful post.
I lived on a kibbutz in northern Israel for four months during the Lebanon War which reduced Beirut to rubble. We'd sit around the pool listening to the cannons roar beyond the border, glancing at the kibbutzniks for reassurance that we were safe. One day, one particular cannon sounded louder and closer. The kibbutzniks' eyes widened with concern, knowing how sometimes a war beyond the border can spread to those not involved very easily. It was surreal to be living an ordinary daily life while listening to other people getting bombed all to hell.
What an experience, Sue. War is so horrible. My idea for decades: have the leaders of the countries that want to war, play a game of chess. Leave the military-aged young people out of it. Spare them, their families, the countries.
I agree. It does seem like they're playing chess on a huge destructive scale. Today's wars, however, are started by madmen, creatures whose psychoses have bled, literally, into the streets of other countries. In the past, it was one or two at a time. Now we have a whole pack of jackals.
I don't like to liken them to wolves because wolves have a sense of society that takes care of the weak ones in the pack. Jackals? I really don't know. They're canines, so maybe they're like wolves too. Humans are a special breed of animal.
It was a profound and memorable photograph and I wish I could find it again. But there are so damned many photos of Ukraine just blown all to pieces. And it all reminds me of the war in Lebanon in the mid 70s when we sat around the kibbutz swimming pool listening to the cannons roar across the border. Beirut was reduced to rubble. So were the cities of Syria when Assad went into a tantrum because his people demonstrated during Arab Spring against his regime. And of course, there's Gaza. How do people stay and live in this environment?
How are you doing these days anyway, Switter? Something terrible happened before you left to walk the PCT. Now you're back home? I hope you are pulling things back together or finding solutions or solace. Take care, my friend.
Beautifully written, Sue. This same tragedy of GREED, plays out in so many places around the world. We in the US have been spared. So far. Californians have bins of food and supplies put by, pretending to prepare for earthquakes. Now we are just glad to have them, earthquake or not...
It's always a good idea to keep the larder full and the fuel tank no lower than half full. You never know what kind of shenanigans is going to keep you sheltering in place. (COVID anyone?) She at least had the remains of her garden. We struggle just to grow a few potatoes, garlic and onions. A garden like hers takes a steep learning curve and dedication. I wonder if she is still alive these days? BTW, Putin didn't show up for today's meeting. And the beat goes on .....
And Texas Governor Abbot ( and his billionaire donors) got a bill passed that takes funding away from Texas public schools and gives it to vouchers for ( religion based) private schools... and the beat goes on.
Um ... how does this fit in with this thread. Non sequiter.
Sorry...I was a bit off. I simply meant it as a comment on the greed that is prevalent everywhere we turn and how, yes, "the beat goes on". Maybe it just seems so lately. I am distraught.
Instead of tiny Nixon sized dosed of greed and corruption, we're getting the firehose dosage. I've never seen this level of blatant, in-your-face-fuck-you-all insults from a leader before. It's stuns me to the core. He truly is the anti-Christ enthralling legions; however, I do see the tide rising to sweep him away. Norway inviting Obama in place of Trump. The Saudi Prince (or was that AI) saying he regretted inviting Trump to negotiate peace deals. He said instead it was like being in one of Trump's reality shows. He came to collect tribute and be treated like a king, not offer trade incentives. And then there's the meeting in Turkey for Ukraine's ceasefire. Trump tells Zelensky not to talk to Putin until he talks to him. Then both of those bastards bail. Of course, you know all this, but I guess I just have to list the travesties in case I'm hallucinating all this stuff. Tell me I'm having a nightmare here and to wake the hell up. You're actually more worried about people getting deported there? I don't blame you. It's unimaginable and happening so fast.
I try to keep faith, but we all have our share of bad days. Thanks, Sue.
I've often wondered about managing one's day to day in a war zone, too, Sue. Good weather, foul weather, hot or freezing, one has to figure it out, or not. Many adjust to trauma, not normalize it, but figure it out. Sometimes the trauma ends, sometimes it continues. A close work friend has most of his family in Israel and he and I often talk about what becomes normal in one's life. For his family, it's not knowing if they'll be called up to serve - again - and if so, for how long. He said, "But my family still has kids in school, they have sports games, they go to the grocery store, they don't stop living." Beautiful post.
I lived on a kibbutz in northern Israel for four months during the Lebanon War which reduced Beirut to rubble. We'd sit around the pool listening to the cannons roar beyond the border, glancing at the kibbutzniks for reassurance that we were safe. One day, one particular cannon sounded louder and closer. The kibbutzniks' eyes widened with concern, knowing how sometimes a war beyond the border can spread to those not involved very easily. It was surreal to be living an ordinary daily life while listening to other people getting bombed all to hell.
What an experience, Sue. War is so horrible. My idea for decades: have the leaders of the countries that want to war, play a game of chess. Leave the military-aged young people out of it. Spare them, their families, the countries.
I agree. It does seem like they're playing chess on a huge destructive scale. Today's wars, however, are started by madmen, creatures whose psychoses have bled, literally, into the streets of other countries. In the past, it was one or two at a time. Now we have a whole pack of jackals.
“Pack of jackals” is a powerful analogy. Love that.
I don't like to liken them to wolves because wolves have a sense of society that takes care of the weak ones in the pack. Jackals? I really don't know. They're canines, so maybe they're like wolves too. Humans are a special breed of animal.
This is a little too close to the truth for me. Good job. Stories that evoke are stories that tell a truth.
It was a profound and memorable photograph and I wish I could find it again. But there are so damned many photos of Ukraine just blown all to pieces. And it all reminds me of the war in Lebanon in the mid 70s when we sat around the kibbutz swimming pool listening to the cannons roar across the border. Beirut was reduced to rubble. So were the cities of Syria when Assad went into a tantrum because his people demonstrated during Arab Spring against his regime. And of course, there's Gaza. How do people stay and live in this environment?
How are you doing these days anyway, Switter? Something terrible happened before you left to walk the PCT. Now you're back home? I hope you are pulling things back together or finding solutions or solace. Take care, my friend.