Dec 2 2018
This week, Russia marked a new aggressive move toward Ukraine, and America marked the passing of a president who encouraged his fellow citizens to be points of light for others.
As The World Turns
George H W Bush passes
American President George H. W. Bush died on November 30, 2018, aged 94. His lifelong career of public service included being the 43rd Vice President of the United States, Ambassador to the United Nations, Head of the US Liaison Office in China, and Director of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).
On the world stage, President Bush is credited for showing restraint, and for assembling an international coalition, when waging war in Iraq after it invaded Kuwait. He guided the collapse of the Soviet Union and the unification of Germany, so much so that current German chancellor Angela Merkel said in tribute, “Helmut Kohl (German leader at the time) could rely on this friend of the Germans in the White House. During George Bush’s presidency, we experienced the strength and reliability of German-American friendship, and we will never forget this experience.”
I don’t (yet) know enough about President Bush’s domestic policy record to weigh in either way, and can only speak to absorbing his foreign policy moves on the nightly news in Asia. Here’s part of my mini-tribute to him:
“I experienced George H. W. Bush’s presidency from half a world away, at a time when humanity grappled with a pro-democracy movement in the East, a wall coming down in the West, a mission in Kuwait, and an end to a cold war. War and strife seemed more visceral then, a cold reality on the nightly news, a search for peace that sometimes felt like an idle fantasy.
Against this backdrop, Bush 41’s expressed desire for a kinder, gentler nation struck a chord in me, not because it seemed naive, but because it felt like a crucial point of light in the geopolitical darkness.
No man, or president, is perfect. Each life, whether lived in the spotlight or in quietude, is a journey into more of itself, learning what matters, and honoring what’s true.
7 months was likely too long to be away from his beloved Barbara. Here’s to their new phase of joy together.”
Ship skirmish
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine flared up this week, as Russia claimed Ukrainian vessels had illegally entered its territorial waters. Russian special forces stormed the vessels, and between three and six Ukrainians were injured.
Relations between the two nations are strained because West-leaning Ukraine, which gained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union (that Bush 41 presided over), is seen as a threat to Russia’s geopolitical interests.
The international community has expressed subdued concern, urging Russia and Ukraine to avoid further escalation.
Om Is Where The Heart Is
Final month, fuller reckoning
We’ve begun the last month of 2018. December is a natural time of reflection for me. Between the hibernation-friendly wintry weather, the holiday season, and it being my birthday month, I slow down and pay attention to how the year has unfolded.
2018 has been a mixed bag. I continue to develop my craft and my voice, but it’s also been a time of releasing old patterns, old relationships and tired tropes that no longer serve me in my creative work. I didn’t accomplish some of the things I’d set out to do on Jan 1, and I’m left feeling wanting.
Global Citizen Music Festival: Mandela 100 is a celebration of Nelson Mandela’s legacy. It’s happening this weekend as I write these words, with performances from artists like Beyonce, and financial commitments from political and business leaders to help end extreme poverty in the world.
This Dec 5 is the fifth anniversary of Mandela’s passing, and so my year-end reflections are tinged with this milestone, the energy of his life and the depth of his convictions. His autobiography is titled The Long Walk to Freedom, and that comforts me. Our lives are long walks of all shapes and sizes, a journey to our dreams and destinies. The road may not always be smooth, and often takes unexpected turns. But if we stay the course, our freedom can and will come.
This truth was also mirrored to me when I attended a talk this week by American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician Rev. Jesse Jackson. He entertained and informed us, cheered and cajoled us, acknowledged and admonished us…as only a preacher can.
And his is a long road indeed. From standing beside Martin Luther King Jr the day he was shot and killed in 1968; to running for president in 1984 and 1988; to, just this year, insisting Silicon Valley companies release information on their hiring practices, board diversity measures and employee retention statistics…Rev Jackson’s work is rich and varied, and the work of a lifetime.
May my road be as long, and as rich.
News and Views
In the next issue:
President Bush’s passing has inspired me to develop a workshop for you and people in my network. I may have more to share by this time next week.
Till then…
Live well and lead large – Maya
(Jesse Jackson image by Ed Ritger, taken at the Commonwealth Club of California on Nov 29 2018)