I had such high hopes for 2022. The world seemed to be getting back to normal. The pandemic cases were dropping, book sales were rising, and it just felt like life was going to get better. Slowly and cautious, but in the right direction.

Then, the invasion of Ukraine happened. I tried to understand what was going on and, for the most part, I have a general idea. I’m not a historian and to explain the long and complicated relationship between Ukraine and Russia would be difficult, but what isn’t difficult is understanding the need for peace. In America, you see the news and the destruction that is happening over in Ukraine, and you can’t help but feel a bit gutted inside.

Images of innocent people fleeing a fight they didn’t ask for and others fighting in one they didn’t fully understand. It also made me think more on the previous 20+ years of war the United States spent in the Middle East. The situation wasn’t the same, but (regardless of which side you are on) the suffering innocent people experienced was nearly identical. Destruction and displacement of millions of people, people who had no hand in events that caused the fighting, paid the highest price. It’s a timeless, tragically historical tale of non-fiction.

I, like most people, wish there was a way we could end war forever. That violence would stay to the confines of our entertainment. I believe it can, but it requires great work to be done. It requires us to be better and help others. Hating Russians for what their government decided will not help anyone. This goes the same to any person from any country. We could all be better off following the golden rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” Or even better, treat others better than you would want to be treated. It starts with us if we want to see the change and if we can do that, maybe we can get 2022 and beyond back on track as well.

In regard to helping the people of Ukraine (and other countries and people around the world), this can be through donations, volunteering, and through simple well-wishes and conversations. We can underestimate how much a small, polite conversation can impact great change on people’s perspective. Awareness is great for a myriad of reasons, but not every action a person takes needs to be blasted from the tallest tower. Small, quiet work can produce big change too!

I hope this post didn’t come off as a sermon or anything. I just hope it’s more of a reminder to those reading. It’s easy for us to forget the world around us and our own impact in it. A reminder can help us remember what’s important in our own lives and hopefully live a better one.

Again, I know this isn’t a fun post, but I promise to deliver some more writing updates soon.

Until next time, Read, Write, Edit, Repeat.

- J. J.

Note: If you wish to do donations, I suggest doing your research before giving any amounts to make sure your donation is going to the right place.