Roots

Good Morning!

I watched a big column of black smoke rise up from the square as ambulances and fire trucks raced by, on their way to Maidan-one block away from our apartment.  Four police buses pulled up underneath my balcony, unloaded, and began to assemble their riot gear.  I figured it was time to wake up Bard.

I saw the decade in, when it seemed

the world could change in the blink of an eye

And if anything

then there's your sign of the times



Sleeping on the couch with Evelyn, both of them recovering from who knows what, he was a little non responsive when I called him out onto the balcony.  But he grew quickly coherent when he saw the riot police with their face masks, body shields, and clubs.  We watched as they watched and then got online to find out what was happening right in front of us.  Through an article on New Times we could see our Maidan in flames as community workers attempted to dismantle and remove the "tent city" which has been in place since the protests began several months ago.  We chatted with two other adoptive families who live right next to us and got their perspective as well.  I wasn't sure if all the riot police stationed outside my front door made me feel more safe or less safe.  What were they waiting for?  Something they were going to initiate or a "just in case" presence?  And, just in case WHAT?!

I was alive and I waited, waited

I was alive and I waited for this



 

I have been a historian all my life.  I love studying history and have even experienced some momentous events, through television of course, but, "I remember when..."

 

I never thought I would see history unfold right below my feet.  No really, there's nothing below our balcony, it's just stuck on to the side of the building, I felt like I was watching the police from Disney's Tower of Terror-the balcony is all glass, if the police looked up, they would see my underwear.

We watched and waited.  The police got lunch, sat on the curb, went across to the empty lot so they could pee.  Umm, hello, see me waving at you?!  The smoke dissipated  but later on another fire appeared and the fire truck went back again.  We debated what to do-were we safe here?  Should we leave? Evelyn was sick, asleep on the couch.  We read the news some more and found a live feed of Maidan.  Hoping and praying that the protesters went peacefully (something that is not actually in line with the very definition of their title) and that this would be a turning point for Maidan, for Ukraine, a return to peace.  But we weren't sure if we wanted to be in the middle of that...what's a girl to do?

Well, this girl went out, walked right past the riot police (actually ran because it was pouring down rain) and went to get her hair done!  I mean really, this country is behind at least some of those gray roots, the very least they could do is to hold off on more revolutions while I can just take a few minutes and get back to my own normal!  Now sure, before I left, I set the girls medicine next to our computer and passports so that Bard could grab everything if he needed to leave in a hurry.  And, if something went down, we arranged to meet up the street at the Hyatt, figuring that was a safe place.  But c'mon, when I am at home and leaving the girls with Bard while I run errands, I have to leave instructions too, is this really that different?!  Alright, so I don't normally walk by men in ski masks with Kevlar vests and automatic weapons just to go get my hair done.  But that's because I go to Fircrest, I'm sure if my salon was in Hilltop it would be different.


Amateur selfie

And by the way, my hair looks AWESOME!  I flirted with my new best friends, the riot police and offered to by them some cigs.  Okay, I didn't do that, but afternoon wore into evening without any further columns of smoke started by The Others.  Or maybe burning tires, hard to say.  The news reported that community workers were successful in retaking Maidan.  Citizens from all over Kyiv came to their square and cleaned up the trash and graffiti.  They retook the fountains, the plaza, the streets.  For the first time in months (look here), the people of Kyiv could look out over Maidan and see it without the obstruction of tents, tires, barricades, and garbage.  For hundreds of years Maidan has been a central place for the people.  A place of gathering, a place of beauty, and yes, a place of protest.  But to the average person on the street, the remaining protesters in Maidan have represented  petty thuggery and alcoholism .  No longer.  Last night I checked on my square again.   Because of course, this has become my country too, and I wanted to know how it was doing with all the chaos.  As the clouds parted, giving way to a full moon, I could see Maidan below.  Quiet, peaceful, ready for a new cycle to begin. 

I walked through Maidan this morning, almost unable to get my bearings because the change was so

drastic.  But there was the column and arch.  And around them scurried dozens of volunteers, continuing to transform their environment.  Bulldozers and backhoes, news crews and tour guides all busied themselves throughout the square.  I honestly could not believe the difference-it wasn't just that everything was gone-no, they were not content with only clearing out the old.  Instead, old ladies and young men were cleaning fountains and flower beds, ready to create something new.  I love it, what an amazing country!

I was alive and I waited, waited

I was alive and I waited for this

 

When I was waiting for the dye to set and my roots to go back to what they are supposed to be, they played Jenny from the Block.  Not my most favorite hip hop artist ever, but it's nice to hear something familiar.  A song about not changing, even when you change.  Remaining true to who you are, no matter what external events swirl around you.  Take it in, take the good, take the growth.  Roots.

 

True for my hair!

 

True for a little boy.

 

True for a country.

 

Right here, right now

There is no other place I want to be

Right here, right now,

watching the world wake up from history.