Letter from Ukraine

Ken Sears
to me
show details
3:57 am (3 hours ago)
No, I don't object at all to being "posted" on your blog, Taras! I'm honored!

I suppose you could never be accused of a "crime" for posting someone's e-mail on your blog without their permission, though there are always Americans who are ready to sue "at the drop of a hat". We're an obsessively litigious society, always looking to be offended and then get our "day in court". I think perhaps we are subconsciously guilty over our comfort and want to compensate for it by feeling like victims. The human heart is desperately convoluted (possibly a better translation than "wicked", from the verse in Jeremiah); who can understand it?

We didn't do anything here for Thanksgiving Day - we're far too busy to artificially inject an American holiday into our Ukrainian routine. I did get a few slightly sappy e-mails from some Americans hoping I wouldn't be "alone for the holiday". Along with being litigious, we can also be rather sentamentalistic, not to mention ethnocentric. It's almost heresy for me to tell them there was nothing special about the day and no reason to be any more or less "alone" than any other day. It's hard for Americans to genuinely conceive that the whole world isn't celebrating their holiday. At the same time, nobody in America even notices March 8th, when most of the rest of the world is celebrating Women's Day. This cultural myopia is one of America's less attractive features. In America's defense, though, I have to say I've encountered no less myopia in Ukraine and other countries concerning the ways of peoples beyond their borders. Ukrainians have told me things that they "knew" about American society which were as fantastic as anything from a Ray Bradbury novel. But these Ukrainians knew it for sure, and nothing - including the facts - could change their mind. So, all people are the same; most of us comfort ourselves with the belief that all reality conforms to the familiar structure of life we've managed to build around us.

Well, what do you know, Taras: you inspired me to more reflection. But I won't be offended if you don't put that on your blog, too! I'm not auditioning for a part that will get my name up in lights!

All for now, then. Today I turned 50 years old. Getting together with some friends this evening for an Irish-style boiled dinner - my suggestion; I hope they don't hate it.

Blessings!Ken