Hello to all my Russian friends out there. I have a favor to ask of you. Maybe a couple. But I'm glad you are out there and I am glad you are stopping by for a visit. Also a shout out to my friends in all other areas including my one friend in Turkey. {Smile}
As of late I have been getting quite a few foreign Emails. A lot of them are not in English. Now I have a translator that works when it feels like it. I have to get a new one, but those I have been able to translate are NOT spam. They are links to articles, and comments. One I got was an interesting personal story.
So I did what I NEVER do. I checked the stats. You know what I found? A third of this audience is viewing us from Russia. I'm not kidding. One third of you, are viewing the OPNTalk2 Blog from Russia.
Yeah, yeah, Happy Sunday to ya. Welcome to the OPNTalk2 Blog's Big Sunday Edition. Glad you stopped by. If you want to be a part of the OPNTalk2 Blog, you too can send in articles, comments, complaints, or just say Hi, the Email is opntalk@gmail.com. Oh, and of course, I am your Provocateur of thought, Peter Carlock.
Coming right up today?
Next Crises Coming Disability
Yup. We got a lot to cover. But back to my favor. So I have talked about the World Summit Dinners I have both attended and even hosted in the past. This is where there are people represented from all around the world. We have had people from Russia, the Czech Republic, the Philippians, China, France, Sweden, Africa, Haiti, The Seychelles, Jamaica, Columbia, England, and even Canada. {Smile} Just off the top of my head. These dinners were what it sounds like. We met, talked, sat, ate. We shared histories, daily lives, and hopes and dreams. We just talked and listened to each other.
I came to the conclusion that if we, the people of the world, could all do this more often, we would take great steps towards world peace. Not exaggerating at all. Look at a play ground. I have used this analogy before talking about race relations in this country. Watch the kids. They do not care where you are from. They do not care if you are Black or White. They do not care what your Daddy does. Or what religion you are. They do not even have to talk. They jester, point, copy, teach, play. They do not care about anything other than "That's my friend."
I will never forget the first time I met Tatiana {Tanya}. She just moved here not too long before that. She was a Teacher in Russia. I asked her what she thought of America. Her answer surprised me. She said, "You know, the very first thing that hit me, really hit me, was when I walked into a Grocery Store. I saw all this food. If I wanted meat, or anything, it was right there. You have no idea how much that effected me. Many parts of major cities in Russia, do not even have running water." Food. The availability of food was what effected her the most. As great as this country is. Our long history. Our accomplishments. All the rest, what effected her the most. FREEDOM. A Grocery Store. The ability to get whatever she wanted.
I could write a book about the stuff I learned spending time with people from all over the world. My Czech friends told me how they use to work in the Mines. You got one 8 oz bottle of water. You worked 10 hours a day. No breaks. At the end of the month, the government may or may not pay you. I learned a lot from my foreign friends.
One of the things I remember like yesterday, was one of my friends telling me this.
"You Americans. You are ignorant and arrogant at the same time. You have no idea what you have here. Yet, you squander it. Stand by and applaud when one of your leaders take it. You have no idea. Your poor people would be rich in my country. Our poor have no running water. We do not know when, where, or what we will eat. Your poor? Homes, TVs, Radios, Computers, one or two cars even. Everyone have cell phones. You stupid Americans. Then you sit back and watch new leaders come in and take your freedoms. If my country had half the freedoms and opportunities you Americans have, and a new leader came in and tried to hinder them in the slightest? We would be in the streets. We would die before we gave up any of them. You Americans? You stand and cheer. You vote these people in. You vote them to stay. You have no idea what you are about to loose."So here is my favor. No only to my new found Russian friends, but any of you out there. Please, if you would, send me in your personal stories. I'm not looking for the history of your country. Although, feel free to send that as well if you like. But I'm interested in YOU. You wake up in the morning, what is your day like? What do you do for a living? How? Just you. What are your hopes and dreams? What is your concept of America? I'm being serious here. If I get some of these personal stories, I will post them here. A side by side comparison to us "ignorant and arrogant Americans." Not to insult anyone. My friend was not being insulting. He was speaking from his heart. But I really think more Americans need to actually see it. More Americans actually need a dose of reality. So if you could my foreign friends, I would be extremely grateful to you. If you could in English? It would be easier. But feel free to send it in your language. I'll do my best to translate.
OK folks, we are fully loaded. So going to fill my cup. Be right back.
Peter
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