This was originally written in a notebook in February 2022 Where were you when Ukraine was invaded?

            I have not been good at journaling in the past but I feel a strong need to try again. So, here we go. My best hope is to have one of the children we raised find, read, and learn from the journals that I will leave behind when I am gone. My plan is to put these onto paper and store them in my studio desk. If you are reading this, you have found my paper and are reading the words I published on my blog.  

            The impetuous of my desire to start writing again is based upon a few things – the first is my mistrust of our government and our society to do the right thing and not be motivated by greed or self-righteous narcissism. The second motivation for my writing is a weird compulsion I have to try to inform people of the perceptions they are turning a blind eye to in the given situation. Both of these compulsions sound rather narcissistic when I see them on paper but they are mine, I own them as they are and hope that maybe someday they will help someone.

            Two days ago the war in Ukraine started with Russia invading the borders and attacking military sites. This was preceded by a cyber-attack that was definitely instigated by Russia. The biggest effect of this whole mess here in the U.S. is climbing gas prices. I am sure that this is just the beginning.

            The night that Russia invaded Ukraine I was having a sleepless night which is not that unusual for me. So I was watching news recasts on YouTube when the news hit. I woke Tina and told her the war in Europe had been started. We had talked earlier in the day about this possibility and that if this behavior by Putin could not be reigned in by the global community this would be the beginning of World War 3. From what I can decern from Putin’s behavior is that he utilized a battle plan similar to that utilized by Nazi Germany in WW2. My take on Putin’s ego issues tells me that this will not stop with the fall of Ukraine. The aggression by Russia will not end with simply the rebuilding of communist Russia, I can see him trying to dominate the world.

            One of our kids has expressed that we should not get involved in other countries’ battles and that we should not police other countries. I could political rhetoric bubbling in the background of the statement. As calmly as I could I gave a short history lesson about our own country. We bought Alaska from the Russians and if Putin is hell-bent on rebuilding Russia to its former empirical size do they really think that this will stop in Ukraine? After a long silence, the retort I got was “That’s different, we bought it from them”.  HMMM- I doubt that really matters in Putin’s plan to “Make Russia Great Again”

            The conspiracy theorists on several internet sites have been talking about how [insert secret society of your choice] want a global centralized government controlled by either conservative or liberal extremists depending on which point of view the group demonizes. Wouldn’t it be ironic if these conspiracy groups have it a little right and what is happening now is the beginning of a big battle for world control/domination?

            As an individual, I feel there is little I can do to alter the course of events as I see them approaching. I feel that all I can do is watch the powers that be continue to make this slow-moving train wreck happen while they figure out to profit from it. Sounds pessimistic, doesn’t it?

Over the last several years I watched my country’s election process erode, first one way then the other depending upon which political party is in power. A few elections ago I watched as a member of the electoral college that represents my area voted against what the populace had voted for in favor of his own political beliefs. This person’s punishment for violating his sworn duty and public trust was a $1,000 fine. WTF!!!!! I saw clearly then that our current election system had serious flaws and was ripe for coercion and dishonesty. Fast forward a few years and we have an election that was disputed and clearly big attempts were made to skew the election. By whom, does it really matter? I wonder if this stuff happening in Europe will be enough of a global crisis that the matter will be quietly closed with no real solution to the problem being made. Too many skeletons in all the political closets. Neither side, Republican and Democrat, really want this to continue this election mess in the public thus causing changes in the election process in this country that both sides agree that they do not want. In my opinion, both sides are guilty at one time or another of what they accuse the other side of doing. Nobody has clean hands in the matter.        

I am not an extremist, a conservative, or a liberal. I am a person who has become aware that no one really listens to history, the popular vote, or advice from their elders. All I feel that I can do is to make sure I will be able to fend for myself while powers that be fight amongst themselves in an attempt to gain perceived control over things they do not own.

I have a plan and I am in a place where short of war being physically fought right here on US soil I will get through. I have water, land to grow food on and animals I can care for even when things get rough. I feel that I can trust and/or work with the people who live around me.

WOW, somedays I can be pessimistic and anti-social. Please understand I love my country, my government I have a lot of trouble trusting and the public masses make me nervous. So…… (To Be Continued Later)