The Disease of More

I don't recall where I heard the term 'the disease of more,' but it certainly seems an appropriate term for much of the contempoeary world.

Despite record profit by many corporations in the US throughout the pandemic, they keep raising prices. Then they blame the price increase  on a $.50 per hour wage increase for struggling, low income workers. And despite record wealth by billionaires in this country, they still want more. Amazon, for example, just announced an increase, or as they call it, an adjustment, in the price of Amazon prime. The increase is from $119 per year to $139 per year an increase of nearly 17%. So it definitely seems that the disease of more is afflicting the super wealthy in this country.

The Russian president also seems to have a bad case of the disease of more, as he directed his country to invade Ukraine, a peaceful, western leaning country. He wants more territory to add to his kingdom. And more people to dominate. And control of even more natural resources.

Misguided parents are demanding more control of what is taught in school, demanding that certain books and subject matter be banned. I thought we had advanced beyond the era of book banning and burning, something the Nazis did with great fervor before World World II. Some groups have gone so far as to demand the installation of video cameras in classroom so parents can watch livestreams of teachers at work, to make sure they don't stray from the party line.

Republican politicians in Texas and other states, fearful they can't win elections without disenfranchising certain voters, are closing polling places and putting ridiculous limitations and requirements on potential voters.

And let us not forget the same political party's demands for more control over women's reproductive rights. How dare a woman decide, along with her physician, if/when to have a child? The all-knowing Rethuglican party certainly knows best, of course.

I hope that a cure for the disease of more is found, and quickly. The world cannot endure too many more attacks by this disease.

Getting Away From the World

Back in the 1960s, the Drifters sang about going up on the roof to escape their troubles.  

This has been a rough week for me. Rough, of course, is a relative term. What may have seemed rough for me is nothing compared to what the people of Ukraine are enduring. I am so fortunate that I don’t have to live through what they are facing. But for me, this rough week included snow, which I hate; very cold temperatures (overnight temperatures in the teens); a fall that left my face somewhat battered and scraped up; and an extremely annoying dog. So what I decided to do, after having my fill of watching the news and some mindless television, was to put on some music as a distraction. Music has always been a great comfort and distraction for me. Often I listen to classical music. After that, perhaps I’ll put on some smooth jazz. I am particularly fond of saxophone music. Enya, despite the fact that she frequently sings in Gaelic and I have no idea what the words mean, is another favorite.

The nice thing about my Amazon Echo is that I can choose the music I want to listen to. Sometimes it’s saxophonist Richard Elliott or Mindy Abair. Sometimes I want to listen to Tchaikovsky or Mozart, my two favorite classical composers. At  other times I will listen to 1960s rock music, the music that was popular as I was growing up.

I never sleep well, and recently with the Ukraine crisis on my mind, I’ve had even more trouble sleeping. So tonight I told my Echo to put on music by ABBA. This group’s music always lifts my spirits. Most of the songs are very upbeat. I mean, who can help but smile when they hear such classics as ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Take a Chance on Me’? Years ago, before I gave up running, I would listen to ABBA as i ran. The music is so full of energy and it’s so upbeat that it kept me moving at a good pace.

The other thing I do to unwind is to read. I have been an avid reader since I learned to read. My mother used to kick me out of the house and tell me to go outside and play rather than staying inside with my nose in a book. The only thing that has changed over the years is that i now read on a Kindle rather than in a printed book. My favorite genres are historical fiction, history, biographies and an occasional mystery.

It’s not quite time to sleep, so I think I will listen to some ABBA as I get ready for bed, put my dogs to bed, and then read for a bit. Perhaps things will be better tomorrow. Or perhaps I will feel better after getting a brief respite from the daily challenges of life.

I Feel Sick

I admit it. I am scared. I am scared about what will happen next now that Russia has invaded Ukraine. And I am nauseous.

I follow current events, especially when they involve countries I have visited several times. I have not been to Ukraine, but I have always had a special interest in the Slavic world.

Ukraine is an independent, democratic, sovereign nation that has been  invaded by a thug and former KGB officer. Ukraine is about the size of the state of Texas. What threat can Ukraine possibly be to the world's biggest country, one that occupies 1/8 of the planet's habitable area and that encompasses 11 time zones? And Ukraine, unlike Russia, has no nuclear arsenal.

Despite Putin‘s repeated claims that he was not going to invade Ukraine, that is exactly what he did. We knew what he was planning despite his denials. Why else did he mass more than 150,000 troops, plus tanks, artillery, ships and field hospitals along Ukraine's northern and eastern borders?

Putin didn’t stop with seizing the two predominantly Russian-speaking areas of eastern Ukraine. No, he has invaded from the north, the south and the east. And make no mistake. Ukraine is not Russia, despite Russian claims to the contrary. Ukrainian is a Slavic language with some similarities to Russian, yet it is a distinct language. As someone with an undergraduate degree in Russian language, I can generally get the gist of a sentence in Ukrainian. But the languages are very different. 

Ukraine has its own culture. It has its own religion. It has its own history. Is Putin really worried about a threat from a much smaller nation such as Ukraine? Does he really care about the Russian-speaking population of two regions in easter Ukraine? From what I have heard, Russia already controlled those areas despite their being part of Ukraine. Like Hitler before him, invading another country while pretending to want to 'protect' a population that speaks a different language is nothing more than a pretext Putin dreamed up. In Hitler's case, he invaded Czechoslovakia ostensibly to protect the Sudetenland's German-speaking residents.

Of course, with a megalomaniac dictator like Putin, no one knows if he will stop after he conquers Ukraine. Will he set his sights on Poland? On the Czech Republic? On Lithuania? If, as some have speculated, he is trying to reconstruct the former Soviet Union, who knows where his power grab will take him? And how many soldiers and innocent civilians will perish because of his blind ambition and megalomania? Both countries will suffer heart-breaking loss of life.

I have a special interest in Russia that goes back to my first Russian language class in high school in the 1960s. My undergraduate degree is in Russian language. My minor included courses in Russian history, politics and geography. I worked as a linguist for the federal government for 3 years. I lived in Moscow for 3-1/2 months. I adopted my daughter from a Russian orphanage. I have visited Russia half a dozen times. I have read numerous books about Russia, from its founding through the Russian revolution of 1917. I was there most recently in 2012, when I took my daughter to visit her homeland when she graduated from high school. I am still in touch with two of the interpreters with whom I worked in Moscow. I also exchange the occasional e-mail with the former director of the Siberian orphanage where my daughter lived.

I also have a Ukrainian Facebook friend. She is a young physician. So I know people on both sides of this situation. I know these people do not want war, and I hold none of them responsible for the actions of their governments. News reports are showing that thousands of Russians have protested against Putin's attack on Ukraine, and thousands have been arrested for their bravery.

I am frightened. What if the war expands to other countries? If Putin attacks a NATO member, the entire alliance will defend the member states. The US is a member of NATO, so we will be embroiled in another was. No one except Russia  has the appetite for war. 

So let us hope that Putin either comes to his senses (not likely) or decides that the cost of his aggression is too high. Until something changes, I will continue to be frightened, both for Ukraine and for innocent Russians. 

Moving Forward … Cautiously

Covid has taken several million lives around the world, and more than 900,000 in the U.S. Countless other people have survived, some with no lingering symptoms and some with 'long Covid.' that keeps them ill for months.

Many uncounted others -- and I am one of them -- suffer from psychological symptoms of this virus even while remaining free of the physical symptoms. You may recognize some of these symptoms in yourself or family members.

Increased stress and anxiety.

Short temper.

Decreased energy level

Lethargy

Frustration

These are some of the feelings with which I struggle as we enter year three of this pandemic. Everything is a struggle, from finding the grocery items I want to making an appointment with a physician. I am so sick of hearing about 'supply chain problems' and watching prices skyrocket. 

And what makes this situation even worse is knowing that it didn't, and doesn't, have to be this way.

Fortunately, we are seeing signs of turning the corner on the pandemic. Numerous states, including the state in which I live, are dropping mask mandates. That is a great step, but it doesn't mean we should let our guard down just yet. Medical offices and hospitals in my area still require anyone entering their offices or facilities to be masked. And that is fine with me. I also plan to wear a mask when I go grocery shopping or enter any public place of business. I am fully vaccinated and have received a booster, but no one, regardless of vaccination status, is ever fully protected from this virus.

So as an older person whose natural immunity is not as robust as it was in my younger years, I will continue to wear a mask when in indoor public places. The mask mandate remains in place for travel by bus, rail and airplane, and that's OK by me as well.

I have had quite enough of hearing about Covid and of staying home. Like everybody else, I am sick of shortages and delays and arguments about how to manage this virus. Wearing a mask while flying or shopping for a bit longer is not a hardship. I will do what it takes to protect myself, particularly given the large number of unvaccinated who walk among us.

A friend in Texas is on her first cruise in a couple of years. Requirements for negative Covid testing are being lifted in international destinations, which will make travel easier. That is encouraging news for those of us who love to travel.

If we all do our part going forward, perhaps we can finally return to some degree of normalcy in our daily lives..

Cancel the Olympic Games

The Olympics are a sham.

The current Olympic competitions are such a far cry from what was intended that I believe they should be discontinued. Radical? Yes, it is a radical idea.

But consider what has become of the Olympic games. A Russian athlete who tested positive for a banned stamina-enhancing drug was allowed to compete. A Black American athlete who tested positive for marijuana before the delayed summer games was not allowed to compete. And the Russian skater was allowed to compete because officials felt that denying her that right would have caused psychological damage. What do they think was the result when she fell during competition and was immediately berated by her coach?

Professional athletes now are a frequent part of the competition, rather than the games' original intent of celebrating amateur athletes. Professional tennis and basketball players are allowed to compete.

The games are frequently embroiled in political controversies. Rather than celebrating the unity of the world, the Olympics now are little more than a backdrop for the bickering and boycotts of various countries that disagree with the host country's handling of issues such as doping or human rights. Officially, the Olympic games are supposed to be politically neutral. That is hardly the case these days.

The way the Russian coach treated the presumed favorite to win a gold medal in women's free skate (who had previously tested positive for a banned substance, and who fell four times during competition) was unforgivable. A 15-year-old girl who crumbled under the pressure and controversy was confronted by a blame-throwing coach, who should have been the first to console her. The same coach reportedly has left a long line of other psychologically scarred skaters due to her mistreatment of them. Let us not forget, this skater, as are most, is still a child.

I haven't watched this year's winter games in China. I have no interest in winter sports such as skiing or skating, although the athleticism of the athletes is amazing. I refuse to watch anything that involves a country I despise for its human rights and environmental abuses. China is hardly a role model for the world.

I feel for the athletes whose lives have been devoted to long hours of training each day for years on end, only to have the chance of winning a gold medal stolen by a competitor with ann unfair advantage due to state-sponsored doping. 

Perhaps it is time to at least pause the Olympic games .The pursuit of glory and gold medals at any cost must be stopped.