Worries for Mark: Is Ukraine the start of WWIII?

Several days ago, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was quoted as saying:

“Russian forces could take over Ukraine’s capital in two weeks’ time, if they wished.”

I keep thinking, in this 100th anniversary year of World War I, and 75th anniversary of World War II, how similar some of the current news reports are to the events proceeding both wars. I worry we may be heading in a similar direction.

Matryoshka nesting dolls depicting Russian political leaders from Peter the Great through Yeltsin. The one on the far right is Rasputin. Personal collection & (c) 2014 Diana Belchase

 

See this article posted today: Ukraine: Russian forces in major rebel cities

Like Russian nesting dolls, the situation is as complex as Putin himself. He’s a man who has shepherded Russia into the modern era while bemoaning the loss of the USSR. How far will he go to return to the “good old days,” and will we be entering a new Cold War?

I remember hearing about people who couldn’t believe Hitler would encroach on his neighbors, that he would only go just so far, that he would keep to treaties made by predecessors, that he would keep to treaties he’d made himself. Napoleon was much the same. History is full of such men and stories about people who took first inches and then miles.

I mostly worry about my dear friend, Mark, who is living in Ukraine right now. He’s someone I love and thinking of harm coming to him is very hard to take. He insists he’s safe, that he lives in the capital far from the fighting.

Flag flying over the Ukraine Embassy in D.C. (c) Diana Belchase 2012

 

Then I remember the Jews who had a chance to leave Germany but thought they were safe. Or they ran, but not far enough, to Paris, or elsewhere in Europe. Not everyone had this opportunity, but there were many who did. I remember other stories of war. How capital cities got bombed. How children were issued gas masks. How we live in the age of anthrax and biological warfare.

I remember another dear friend, Sandy, calling me to say how upset he was for his son, a wonderful young man whose girlfriend had been on the airplane the Russian sympathizers shot down. The anguish in his voice so deep, because he couldn’t take this pain away from his son or the girl’s parents.

Washington, D.C. is rife with talk — none of it good. It’s whispered at PTA and church where insiders murmur about meetings they’ve attended here and abroad. When I ask them about Mark’s safety, they say to me, he should get out.

I don’t want to be involved in a war. I have no answers. But I want to scream at my friend, run while you can, before the bombs hit, before the cities close, before there is no choice. He laughs at my fears. He tells me he’s fine.

Perhaps I’m wrong. I pray to God, I am.

But, I worry, still.

The Virtue of Virtual Friendship

Millions of people were stunned last week to discover the amazing singing group, Forte, had only met a few days before their TV audition on America’s Got Talent.  Up until then, they’d only met online.

It may seem odd to most people that you could form friendships or partnerships with people you’ve never met, but I understand first hand how this odd phenomenon can provide some of the best friends you’ll ever know.

You see, I’m a writer.  I’ve belonged to online critique groups, cyberspace chapters of major writer’s organizations, read blogs, and interacted with people I have actually never met.  Two people I don’t actually “know” have dedicated their books to me.  Another five have listed me in their acknowledgements.  Many more have either read my manuscript or given me the honor of editing their work.

In the process of trading pages, a measure of trust evolves that only writers can understand.  We learn about each other’s lives, and with the mesmerizing quality of a diary cam in a reality TV show, somehow we end up confessing things to each other we’d never tell our other, face-to-face friends.

I’ve talked one virtual friend out of quitting writing and watched her go on to publish nine books.  Another I’ve consoled and been consoled by, including during the death of my parents and through her own family problems.  Before I ever met her in person, we started speaking on the phone and I coached her daughter through the first years of college, been called Auntie Diana by her other children, and sent presents to each other, including garden specimens, through the mail.  Another woman’s blog so impressed me, we started corresponding and she wrote a guest post for my blog.  The fact she lives in another country is a mere trifle.

If you looked at these virtuous virtuals, you’d think I was conversing with the United Nations.  One friend is from a rather closed religious group and we’ve come to understand and embrace our differences with a great deal of love.  Among these women, we have thousands of miles of geography separating us, economic and educational situations that are distinct and would normally have kept us apart had we lived in the same towns.  Yet, two of these women will watch the weather and tell me if a tornado is heading my way, they’ve all read my scribblings, helped me figure out the intricacies of blogging, been angrier than any blood relation when I received rejections, and called me to celebrate my Golden Heart win moments after it was announced.

Over more than a ten-year period, these women have become sisters, who keep me upright and help me persevere.  While the rest of the world is fooled by a smile, they know something is wrong, the moment I write, “Hi,” in an instant messenger box.  While my great aunt tells me that the online world is evil and the rest of the planet worries about reaching out, I feel the grace of God has lead me to people so vastly diverse and let such love into my life.

So, Forte, good luck to you and your online partnership.  I hope yours are as wonderfully fruitful as mine.

How to form an online friendship:

*Friendships formed over common interests develop in a more honest way than in general chat rooms.

*Do not reveal personal information such as addresses or phone numbers for a long time.  In my case it took years before I shared that information.  Real friends are for the long haul, so there is no hurry.

*When meeting for the first time, do so in a public place, not your home.

*Expect there to be little squabbles and upsets with your cyber-friends just as there are with your friends in face-to-face life.

*Give of yourself, not of your wallet.  Share knowledge, expertise, and companionship.  There should never be a request for financial help.

*Remember to balance these friendships just as you would any others.  If you make commitments to work on projects together, they are just as important as any other commitment.  On the converse side, do not sacrifice your other friendships for the ones you make online.

*Respect differences – religion, finances, education do not matter as long as you can share your lives respectfully.  Remember, this is friendship, not marriage.

*Friendships may wan over time.  This doesn’t make them less real.  Try not to burn bridges, you might have a change of heart a year or two later and want to catch up with the person that was once such a big part of your life.

Going for the Gold — Again!

It’s been a while since the Golden Heart Nominations for 2012 were announced, so, you might well ask, where have you been all this time?  Was something fishy going on? Were you off on another covert assignment?  Here are the possibilities:

Diana was:

a.  Sitting around eating bonbons?  (The completely delicious, fat-free ones that never add an ounce of weight)

b.  Traveling around the world with a really cute and rich guy? (Imagine castles in France, the casino at Monte Carlo, the Yacht moored off of Mykonos.  <sigh>)

c.  Leaving all the work to naughty little elves who didn’t write her posts as they’d promised (because she is as prolific a writer as Nora Roberts and just didn’t have time)?

d. Sort of uncomfortable bragging about being a Golden Heart Finalist again when so many of my writing friends didn’t make it?

Anyone who knows me will guess, “Yup, she was squirming in her seat, trying to hide while people made a fuss.”  While I’m crazy about being nominated, drying friend’s tears — and knowing how talented they are — makes it a bit hard to talk about my incredible good fortune.  This was NOT going to be a post — until they all ganged up on me and literally forced me to write about it.