Since living in Ukraine I have come to realize just how sheltered most Americans are. Being sheltered is not a bad thing in most cases, it's just the way life is in America. There are times, of course, when the 'lid' needs to be removed so the reality can be seen and dealt with. Or another way of saying it might be - there are times when the scab needs to be picked off the wound so it can be cleaned out and healing take place. But, because we Americans tend to hide the negative and only show the positive, life is usually much more pleasant from the outward appearance. And, as I said before - this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Life here in Ukraine is a whole 'nother ball of wax, a whole 'nother cup of tea, a whole 'nother thing. (what IS that phrase I am searching for???)
Last night Mel and I went for a walk much later than usual. Usually I take my walks in the mid-afternoon, but for reasons I won't go into here, I left the house sometime after 4:30 yesterday instead. As it was already getting dark (eek! fall is here, winter on the way quickly), Mel came with me. I'm so very glad he did.
We took a slightly different route than usual, walking down some side streets and 'back alleys' to get to the main road. This was not bad at all - very quiet, just a few people out, a section of our neighborhood I've never walked in the whole 11 years we've lived here! Very nice and I'll walk there again. It was perfectly safe for the most part at that time, safer still in mid-afternoon - just not located on the main roads.
However, when we got the first major road and started to cross it, we looked up the road to check on traffic. There, on the other side of the road, under one of the huge elevated heat pipes, in a pile of beautiful yellow leaves, lay a man all sprawled out on the ground. A woman and her little girl were walking past him on their way to the corner. The woman stopped, left the little girl on the sidewalk, walked over to the man, said something to him, he moved a bit and she went back to the little girl and they walked on. He obviously was a drunk, partially passed out there in the dirt and leaves, beside a major road in our neighborhood.
Mel and I ignored him, crossed the street and started down the next 'alley' between buildings.
Around a slight corner we walked, and there were 2 or 3 dumpsters. An unshaved man, dressed in filthy clothing, carrying a filthy cloth bag was digging through the garbage, pulling out beer bottles and putting them in his bag. Toward us walked 2 more unkempt men, each carrying bags in both hands. These two men, however, appeared to be coming home from work - dirty from a hard day's labor, but carrying groceries in their bags rather than bottles to sell.
We walked on to the next major street, passing several buildings that were abandoned, or mostly abandoned. Two were only shells, missing roofs, walls partially dismantled. We know the history of these buildings because a friend lives nearby in another one exactly like them. Her home, too, is falling down around her ears. Two-story apartment buildings which fell down or are falling down are caused by the poor construction of a 5 story building nearby several years ago. The sewer line for the 5 story building was not put in correctly - it leaks underground, washing away huges areas of the ground under the 2-story buildings, causing them to crack, sink and literally fall to pieces. Our friend has no place else to move - this is the flat she was born and raised in, has raised her own family in and will probably live in until she either dies or the building totally collapses around her. The city says there is nothing they can do.
(Thinking of that ground being washed away underground - I have become very nervous walking near ANY manhole covers. In more and more areas around town, the pavement, cement and/or dirt around many manholes is collapsing. The result is deep holes beside manholes. Some are small holes at the top - maybe a piece of pavement the size of a baseball is missing - but how big is the actual hole? Who can tell since the pavement or cement is still holding above it until weight is put on it! Other holes are barrel size already, full of trash, dead tree limbs and whatnot. I give manholes a wide bearth now, unless they are in areas that are obviously well traveled. There is always the chance the sidewalk/road could collapse under me or someone else as we walk over the area. More and more holes are appearing!)
We turned a corner and walked down a major street beside an agricultural institute. Many young people were walking around, chatting on cell phones, talking to each other, laughing, drinking beer as they walked.
We came to the cross street and waited for traffic to allow us to cross. As we waited, two more older guys walked up beside us. Roughly dressed, talking loudly, weaving slightly, liters of beer partially drunk in their hands. We crossed the street together, but Mel steered me at an angle so they ended up ahead of us by the time we reached the other side. I was walking rather slower than usual due to the high humidity and we followed them for several minutes. Finally, however, we caught up with them, sped up and passed them. The one guy almost fell over when we did pass, losing his balance due to surprise at seeing Mel I'd guess :-). The second guy caught him and steadied him and they continued walking behind us.
This particular section of the sidewalk is one of the worst for collapsing sections. I was shocked to really look around and count how many holes there are - in the sidewalk and in the weedy areas between the sidewalk and the street. Anyone could fall in - child, drunk, old person - me! I will be much more vigilant whenever I walk there - often! - in the future.
We turned at the next corner and started up that side street, on our way back home now. More holes, more missing pathway skirted, more students out walking with beer in hand, lovers leaned up against walls, hugging and kissing and touching.
We arrived at the next major intersection, waited until the traffic cleared and started across the street. A marshrutka appeared from down the street and around a slight corner, doing about twice the speed he should have been doing. We were perfectly legal, in a cross walk area (altho the stripes have worn away), but he honked angrily at us anyway. Sheesh. The stop was just a few meters up the road - he had to slam on his breaks to actually stop! Good grief.
This section of my walk, when I walk this particular route, is usually very busy any time of day. Now there were people every where. Flower sellers, people walking home from work, more students hanging around, a pack of dogs fighting over their territory, cars whizzing by. Now I remembered why I don't walk that way very often! Too noisy, too many people, to much confusion - no peace and tranquility.
We walked on up the street, crossed over another major road, walked farther. Just two blocks from home now! We came up to the bus stop just as another drunk guy lost his balance and fell onto the ground as his friend struggled to hold him up but failed. People just moved away from him, ignoring him, turning their backs on him and he curled himself into fetal position and waved his hand angrily at his friend to leave him alone. His friend turned away, walked a couple steps and turned his back on the guy on the street and pretended not to know him, unsteady on his own feet.
Another corner, we crossed the street and walked on. Just a block from home now! A young woman was walking in front of us. 4 inch heels, skin tight black pants, a tight black jacket, bleached blonde hair. She walked unsteadily, too. I thought - "she's not very comfortable in those shoes - every dip in the sidewalk seems to throw her off a bit." She didn't seem to be drunk, really, just unsteady on her feet. We got a bit closer behind her and then - I heard it. We passed an old woman selling sunflower seeds who suddenly looked up and stared at the young woman as she passed - and I knew I was hearing correctly. This poor young woman was sobbing uncontrollably, trying to hide it, but quickly completely losing control.
I pondered what to do. Should we stop her, try to help her, would she understand us or be afraid of us (especially Mel)? Just as we caught up to her - literally started to go around her, her friend met her, coming from the opposite direction. The young woman totally burst into loud wailing and weeping and fell into her friends arms. The friend wrapped her arms around her, held her head on her shoulder and started talking softly to her.
I have never, ever seen anyone cry in public like this before here. It was a very unusual experience. I wonder what happened? What sort of thing would cause a pretty young woman that much distress? Maybe I am glad I do not know. But she has been on my mind off and on since then, and I say a prayer for her.
Oh - the sadness!
It is hard.
We walked on home from there, stopping in at a new store where I bought a tikva (squash shaped like a huge pear, but looks and cooks like pumpkin). And on home we came.
Last evening was unusual, to say the least. Only 1 in 1000 walks are like that, altho seeing one drunk lying on the ground is not all that unusual - 2 on the ground is unusual, and the crying young woman - well, I hope that is a one time only experience!
We live in hard times. It was hard when we got here 11 years ago - but it got better. However, the economic crisis started again and now people are even more in debt, the difference between those who have and those who have not has increased even more. I cannot believe the number of huge houses that have been built around the city - several more new ones in the area where we walked last night. Huge houses next to hovels. The disparity grows. Poor people see the wealth around them, evidenced in the massive private houses (why so big??? most families are not that big! it's only self pride showing in most cases!). When they have nothing else, the poor usually have money for beer, or more usually, vodka.
It all makes my heart weep. It makes me long even more for heaven. It makes me this much more aware of the need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached, for people to be converted.
Oh, come quickly, Lord Jesus! Call Your people to Yourself - and come quickly!
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