Episode 7, Where do you go from here?
With my arrival at the Warsaw airport, I was able to witness the final steps of many people’s journey from a partially russian occupied Ukraine to safety. I thought much about my students who I taught how to navigate an airport and airplane as many of them had never traveled by airfare but were soon bound to move to Canada. I’ve escorted people out of Ukraine into a short-term transit center, I’ve taught English at a long-term refugee center, I’ve assisted people in trains and finally shared the floor with hundreds more seeking safety at this seemingly chairless airport. While my crappy cheap airline flight got delayed over and over again and the floor became more and more crowded, I had to work hard to contain my soon to be expected, long held off breakdown. I had been in people-filled halls one to many times this month at this point. “You have nothing to complain about” I said to myself over and over again while slowly dozing off just to be woken by one of my newly won friends from the center texting me a picture or the kids there all being treated to the coolest new sneakers by sponsors. I was finished. I cried. Finally! I was wondering when this would come. I cried and cried and cried. I am just so sad. I am sad to see this lovely world in this state and the suffering countries like Russia cause the world's citizens to go through for their own gain. I am sad to see millions of people disoriented and displaced, their lives, homes, careers and loved ones just taken away from them senselessly. I am angry. I am so very angry. I am angry at my naive self for thinking something like this could never happen. I am angry at Putin's Government, at Putin himself and the people in Russia who are just standing by this invasion, claiming they can't do anything and complaining about nothing more than things like fast food restaurants being taken away from them. Seeing what I saw in those few weeks in Poland and Ukraine intensified what I sensed might be the case. Being complacent no longer is an option for me and nor should it be for you. You’re lucky. You’re lucky enough to be alive and to be able and help. I hope this Podcast inspired you to do so.
Thank you for listening to Inside the Other Side. I am always happy to connect with you listeners via email or on social media @insidetheotherside.
This was the last regular episode for this season and I am so glad you stuck with me throughout these last seven weeks despite the heavy topic. Stay tuned for one very special episode next week with my friend and artist Daria Kolomiec.
Until then and always: Slava Ukraini!
