A belated apology to Ukraine

Things have changed since Lisa and I passed through Ukraine over the summer of 2013, when we traversed the southern coast from Odessa in the west to Mariupol in the east before entering Russia near Taganrog.  My first impression of Ukraine, which is recorded in several previous blogs on the Mongol Rally, was not a positive one.  The road conditions were a complete shock, in such bad shape that I became frustrated and eventually quite angry as we struggled to cross the country without damaging our fragile Suzuki Alto.  During that time I made a number of pointed observations that were not always flattering and, in some cases, quite rude.  As is often the case, however, the passage of time has allowed me to reflect upon those observations under very different circumstances.  I have been forced to reconsider my assessment, to think more critically about things that I said and, much more importantly, to reconsider the point of view and respective situations of Ukrainians.  As I scour the news for information on the current political situation and think back on my brief travels across the southern half of the country, two very important questions come to mind- what about the anger and frustration of Ukrainians, and just how long have they been dealing with those feelings?

Ukrainian American Citizens Club in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

It is easy to take certain things for granted when you are used to those things being around.  Sure, the country and society in which we live can always be improved upon, and there are always things that will seriously agitate a lot of us, but its in pretty good shape all things considered.  At times it may seem to us that our entire system disastrously flawed, falling apart, hopelessly corrupt, near collapse or in desperate need of repair, but then our impressions are very much relative to our surroundings. Taking the entire world into account, however, it is difficult for Americans to argue that we aren't living in one of the world's most stable, secure and prosperous nations- problems included.  Like it or not, we are, for the most part, exceptionally fortunate.  It is not my intention to sound condescending with respect to Ukraine- they aren't living in the stone age, mind you, but they are grappling with a set of problems unique to their situation, and that situation is much more difficult than anything we are used to here.  Think about it.  By the time I returned to the United States after six full months abroad I was much more aware of that, of the fact that I took my own level of security and prosperity for granted.  I am still aware of it, though I may sometimes be at risk of forgetting.  I'm writing this blog to remind myself that a great many people, particularly people residing in other parts of the world, have their own problems- big problems, lingering or sometimes even festering problems, problems that have been ongoing for years, problems I could not begin to understand, let alone cope with, without seriously re-assessing what I would consider to be a "problem".  

Again, things are not perfect here in the U.S. (every nation has problems) or even in Pittsburgh, PA (we have a veritable constellation of potholes in our own roads, many neighborhoods are run-down or in decay, and there are politicians people distrust or dislike) but things are a sight better than the state of affairs in a place like Ukraine, as of right now.  If anyone deserves to be angry they certainly qualify, and about a lot more than a few potholes, run-down buildings or what we Americans think qualifies as a corrupt politician.  Today I will strive to reassess what constitutes a "problem" and think more carefully about where I focus my anger or frustrations in the future.  Ukraine- I humbly and respectfully offer my sincere apologies for any unfair criticisms or insensitivity on my part, and wish you the best of luck in securing the sort of future for which we all so dearly hope.