Thank you, Di!

Turkish Airlines canceled my flight (which was supposed to leave today), so I’m still with Mark in the USA. I rescheduled my flight for a week later, but who knows if that will take place?

There are about 8 of us from my school who are not back in Almaty yet. They are the only ones I can communicate with. There’s no wifi or phone service in Kazakhstan right now, and electricity is spotty. When there was a brief period of wifi service a couple days ago, the head of school advised everyone to fill their bathtubs with water, stock up on non perishables like rice and tuna, flash lights and batteries and to shelter in place. I’m so glad I am not back there yet, but I’m concerned for my colleagues and students. I think they’ll be safe from the violence, but banks and stores are closed, no electricity, and I’m hoping they’ll have the food, water and supplies they need. The ministry of education extended the winter break until the 17th, so I’ll be here until at least then. Now that the Russian-led troops have arrived in Kazakhstan, hopefully that will help neutralize the situation. Almaty is normally such a nice, friendly, quiet place to live, so this situation is shocking to me. Please keep the people of Kazakhstan in your prayers.

May have posted this recently, but thinking about it now...

One of the greatest root-level problems in the world is the improper "use" of knowledge about psychology to direct the actions of others -as opposed to employing it to be respectful of people and encouraging them to want to choose correct and positive courses of action.

Even among those who do have absolute positive regard for others, there is a subtle, yet all-important difference between viewing and treating someone as a psychology and treating them as a person with inherent rights....

Some differences being cooperation vs manipulation and respect vs disregard of the fact that there is a person behind the psychology -or the importance of that fact -changing others in a violating, offensive manner vs changing a situation and helping another to change if necessary.

There are times when regard for one or some is made less important than regard for those who might be harmed by them -whether in willfulness or ignorance -but even then, completely disregarding and disrespecting the person of even the most ill-intentioned is a mistake. If they are not considered and respected regardless of their respect for others, you will certainly make a mistake in your decision-making process and do unnecessary harm to yourself as well as them.

It dehumanizes. It is the dehumanization of another -which must first be a dehumanization of self -and does great harm to all as it spreads -making exponentially more problems to strive against.

Titles such as 'How to make people/men/women....' are an excellent example. If one goes into a relationship (or lack thereof in this case) with the intention of disregarding and superseding or circumventing the will of another, it is a violation of that person.

Thank you, Di!

Turkish Airlines canceled my flight (which was supposed to leave today), so I’m still with Mark in the USA. I rescheduled my flight for a week later, but who knows if that will take place?

There are about 8 of us from my school who are not back in Almaty yet. They are the only ones I can communicate with. There’s no wifi or phone service in Kazakhstan right now, and electricity is spotty. When there was a brief period of wifi service a couple days ago, the head of school advised everyone to fill their bathtubs with water, stock up on non perishables like rice and tuna, flash lights and batteries and to shelter in place. I’m so glad I am not back there yet, but I’m concerned for my colleagues and students. I think they’ll be safe from the violence, but banks and stores are closed, no electricity, and I’m hoping they’ll have the food, water and supplies they need. The ministry of education extended the winter break until the 17th, so I’ll be here until at least then. Now that the Russian-led troops have arrived in Kazakhstan, hopefully that will help neutralize the situation. Almaty is normally such a nice, friendly, quiet place to live, so this situation is shocking to me. Please keep the people of Kazakhstan in your prayers.