I am moving closer to enlightenment. This isn’t a religious epiphany, and it isn’t political. It’s acceptance. I have often thought I knew, or understood most topics enough to have a reasonably intelligent conversation. Not the minutiae of a nuclear reaction or crypto-currency, but the humanities and sports were topics I could navigate. If talk turned to questions from the old Trivial Pursuit game, better yet. That was then, this is now. Our political climate and our inability to move towards any semblance of consensus makes my head hurt. Covid is finally tapering off enough to allow us to actually consider normalcy again, but at what cost? Everything is on backorder and or unavailable, and what is available, costs 20% more. Watching these events unfold and mutate into other ridiculous and painful stories that we somehow dodge continually amazes me. I admit to mis-judging almost every scenario and outcome since 2016, and finding myself pushed into a polarizing opinion, because I am not offered any other option. I don’t usually spend time worrying about being politically correct, but these days it takes great focus being able to think quick on your feet, and not alienate people because something is taken “out of context.” If all this wasn’t enough to absorb, now we have Ukraine. I admit to not understanding or appreciating Ukraine and it’s difficult history. I thought of it as just another disgruntled Russian territory that gained independence after the wall fell in ’89, but still Russia. If you have ever referred to a Samoan as a Tongan or a Hawaiian or a Maori, you learn quickly the error of your statement. People from Ukraine are Ukrainian, and all are fiercely proud of their heritage. As the world inches closer to war, little changes in our everyday existence. The stock market drops, and quickly recovers. Gas tops $7 a gallon in California and trucks are still the number one seller. Baseball players are on strike, no one can agree how to split the Billion in revenue. I know people care-and are justifiably concerned. 1 1/2 million refugees (so-far) and a psychopath proving a point with a finger on a nuclear trigger. Having personally grown up during the Cold-War era, there was always an undercurrent of anxiety and distrust of Russia and which of us would blow the other one up first. Ultimately the threat was so routine, it faded into my subconscious. Why worry about something I have no control of? This, coupled with our recent history of mis-trust and our inexplicable ability to bounce back in weird and illogical ways concerns me. Ukraine is real. This is not about people complaining about their “personal” freedom regarding masks or boosters, it is about FREEDOM period. Big difference. The world keeps getting opportunities to reboot and make a better place. This might be the best chance in generations to do the right thing. What am I willing to sacrifice to protect freedom? I hope I have the chance to find that out. Acceptance or enlightenment?–perhaps both is this case.