my damage is more than yours

I remember being with some friends, a little over a year ago in Dnipropetrovsk, we went out to get dinner and drinks, enroute our taxi had a little accident on Karla Marx Boulevard, we were crossing and another taxi simply didn't stop. Our taxi driver got out and said "my damage is more than yours " (in Russian). While it was a  slightly scary crash, no harm done, we quickly got out, paid the driver and left them to settle it, and we laughed about it, as it was endlessly funny. Our group included an important business man, with a strong reputation for running a good company, and his associate from the company. We were a happy, active company of people enjoying the favorite night spot in DP.
     When I look back at my history, being in Simferopol for New Year's party last year, that moment,

being on the Maidan in Kiev, for a good period of time talking to people, feeling it, meeting the people who risked their lives to defend their right to protest the raw , irrefutable injustice,

as we approach this anniversary of the cataclysm of events that changed history for Europe and Russia quite significantly, sure it will come up in the US and International news, not a lot of stories will come out about how all this will affect every day, working people's lives. And maybe I'll get a chance to do some of that before I go home.

Don't get me wrong, (I am not a high achiever : I stayed out of trouble, pick my best options as I saw them ) I started my working career as a dish washer, 30 years later I was doing the same thing today, managing this small task with the care it always deserves, quietly and with respect for those people who left those dishes. Leaving out the details of today, looking out at the events of this year, and generally feeling humble that I could be a quiet participant, just myself, without pretentious attitude, a surreptitious character ? Or a regular guy who is good at getting around ?

Being in a dynamic place, where the new normal is only this week, last month is old news, today is something sad and serious, not a time for glad handing and self congratulations, and the mystery of how all this happened is still unfolding.
No results in prosecuting the killers who picked off the protesters like fish in a barrel. Nothing much is publicly available about MH 17, the whole thing often seems incredible. Having got outside the bubble of Kiev recently, and quietly returned to it, thinking a lot about those parts of my life, so unrelated. And seeing a hint of something worthwhile, seeing something worth leaving behind, seeing that I have the power to connect people, not for me, but for them. It is really great and makes me feel good, yet it is a burden. At times my energy vanishes.

I had a workout with a personal trainer on the straps last Friday, then hit the disco. One should keep in mind, not to hit the gymnasium on the morning of the day of the night out

because by 4 in the morning, you are going to feel it

I survived the weekend, got in a media interview

/http://tv.sumy.ua/lyusyen-remi-iz-ssha-protyagom-ostannih-chotyroh-misyatsiv-pratsyuye-volnterom-u-kyyivskomu-gospitali/
 they edited it down a bit, but I didn't have much to say anyway.
but certainly in my view of it, the far left in my immediate circles of people  do seem to buy the easy concepts doled out in the media about the far right in Ukraine. There seems to be zero dialogue between the liberal minded Social Democratic parties in Ukraine and liberal Democrats in the USA. '

There are some issues relating to steel exports and production between the USA and Ukraine, things affecting Hillary Clinton's campaign, and if she becomes the nominee this time, it can become a pivot point for her Republican opponent. I remember well seeing John McCain when they had the dual Republican/ Democrat candidate debates on TV, him going up to Hillary Clinton to greet her, and I could tell he was so much looking forward to campaigning against her in the general election, if she got the nomination. I found it to be kind of a sweet moment (not a lot of people noticed it ). I think he would have won against her. SO one way or the other, if the Dems are going to go with her, they need to start positioning themselves vis a vis US policy in Ukraine, not allow it to be an issue steered by the new Republican majority in the House. That steel production won't become an issue until they resolve the conflict in the Donbass, but that could resolve sooner than people expect it to.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/16/ron-paul-is-supporting-russia-s-illegal-occupation-of-crimea.html
Russia is certainly entitled to pursue a European policy, at least there is some transparency about it.
http://time.com/3605080/russia-france-national-front/

and thinking about being here, in this time, this now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTQcd13YNPE
sure, there is some emotional propaganda in this,  but I like it, it's a really cool mix of video and musical scores .... It is history, and I was here for it. I just think it is time to end this ugly little war and repair the harm done to this peaceful country, whatever incentives that can be found to do that is up to the politicians and diplomats. I am wishing them all good luck and some sort of fresh strategy.