Mourning the Loss of My Compatriots

This site is now wearing black, not as a change of style.  No every Pole is in mourning this week, to remember the tragic aircraft crash in Smolensk that killed the president of Poland and many Polish civilian and military leaders.

Saturday morning, I found out about the President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, commanding generals, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Head of the IPN, bishops and crew died when their aircraft crashed in Smolensk.  I watched the footage of firefighters making their way through the strewn wreckage.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was surreal.  I found it out when I got out of bed, and opened up my phone.  I saw one of my friends in Poland writing on her Facebook message, “What a tragedy.”  And I wondered what had happened.  There is it was, the news of tragic passing of so many.

It is tragic, not just sad.  One the anniversary of Katyn, the president and the entire delegation flew to Katyn to take part in the 70th anniversary.  The day before his highness Czar Putin acknowledged Katyn but also brought up a tragic incident where Russians died.  I don’t remember the exact circumstances, it was not like the massacre of Polish officers and intelligensia at the hands of Soviet NKVD.  Every human life lost is a huge loss for humanity.  But taking life with the depravity of Stalin is something inhuman.  The President and the delegation wanted to set the record right, and to celebrate the anniversary properly.  But they never made it…  In a way, the world know nows about Katyn thanks to the tragic incident.

The details of what happened are still being worked out.  The initial reports are that of a terrible accident.  Given the circumstances, and details not reported by the mainstream media… I have my misgivings, especially about how conveniently this terrible event plays into certain interested persons and groups.  What we know for sure at the moment, is that Poland has lost a great deal of important and valuable people.  Let us pray for the repose of their souls, and for comfort and true peace for the people of Poland.

We Are Away

Yesterday my fears of things going horribly wrong again were reenforced.  Humanity today looks like a weathered statue, eroded by years of folly, insanity and evil.  In half a century, this world will look very alien to what it seems today.  Those who know what I speak of, know what to fear.  Those that don’t, won’t understand why their world fell apart.  I fear that these experiments will bring ruin to all.  I don’t fear that no one will be left.  I fear that those that will be left, will mourn the loss of civilization.  Now is not the time to run or hide.  Now it is the time to act wisely and decisively.

Port City Update

Hmm… I debated about writing while on “vacation”.  But since I’ve done so much writing today, I felt it might be appropriate to update my blog.

I’m staying with family, in my city of birth.  I’m here on brieviment, so not exactly a fun time.  After the funeral, I might see some friends of the family.  Nothing very exciting, but a rather busy time.  Today is essentially the calm before the storm.  No plans for visiting or sightseeing, as much as I would love to see people outside of my immediate family and friends of immediate family.  Most young people are busy at work or finishing their studies for the year.

Today however, I have some time for writing.  Or rather in any spare moment I find I’m either writing or reading about writing.  I can’t stand idle time and it seems so appropriate to bury myself in work.

Still I love being here, unfortunate as the circumstances are.  The city is dirty, grimmy and full of hazards that one doesn’t meet in a safe city like Toronto.  But there is also energy and enthausism in strange places.  Expectations of what is normal are radically different.  And for some reason, for all the negativity and defeatism that I can feel, there is a vibrance, a feeling of confined growth.
Or maybe it is just me.  Maybe it is just my romantic attachment to my place of birth.  Maybe I’m just a port town boy, in love with a port city.  Even if the port is no longer close to its former glory.