One of the reasons to keep reading descriptions of the Ukrainian resistance to Russian invasion and to keep watching the remarkable reporting being done about it (I’ve relied heavily on the BBC the past 11 days) is the inescapable question: “What would I do?”
It’s not theoretical.
Something tells me the Ukrainians who are returning home from surrounding countries and even from far away ones, as well as the Ukrainians risking their lives to flee west, are not considering that possibility for the very first time just now. I suspect they witnessed recent invasions and watched people both flee and fight (there are critical reasons for doing both) and asked, “What if that were me?”
Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes is more than empathy. It’s preparation.
P.S. The writing of Timothy Snyder is helping me understand what’s going on and what outside observes can do to help. This post is especially helpful.
YoRocko! 