Yesterday morning I wrote that Zoriana would soon be biking by herself. That afternoon she did – dramatically. As Eddie and I followed her on foot she covered about 30 blocks all by herself.
She managed to knock the chain off the bicycle as she was practicing with Eddie. He asked for my chain tool, figured out how to use it, and then cleaned up and oiled the chain, shortened it and put it back on.
This morning I had to take all three kids to Zoriana and Eddie's music lesson. Oksana had to take her parents to the doctor so that Sasha could get some lab tests. I carried Marianna on my shoulders for the mile to the bus stop and then we rode another mile down to Maria's apartment for the lessons. Eddie and I stayed in the park while Zoriana studied, after which I returned home with the girls and Eddie followed afterward on his own.
Zoriana had managed to leave her music notebook on the bus as we went. We looked all over the park and couldn't find it. But miraculously, Eddie caught the same bus coming home and recovered it.
The upshot was that Zoriana didn't get to ride until this afternoon. I didn't want to miss this moment, so I got out my camera. As is true of a great many electronic devices these days, the camera is smarter than I am. I thought I would fool it by putting it on manual focus at infinity, to ensure that Zoriana would be crisply in focus. She is not, and I don't know why. Anyhow, here is Zoriana proudly atop a bicycle. A pretty good accomplishment for a 4 ½-year-old. And I will read the users manual to figure out what I did wrong.
Yesterday for the online ArtTalkers Toastmasters meeting I delivered my speech on The Uniqueness of Western Civilization, the book by Ricardo Duquense that I had mentioned. My point was that while Russia may have done its best to copy Western armaments technology, and invested large amounts in its military, they still don't think like Westerners. The hierarchical structure of Russian society in general in the Army in particular is bound to crimp its effectivity. All away down the chain subordinates are not expected to use their brains. In fact, using your brain can be a disastrous career move, especially if it put somebody higher up the ladder in a bad light.
I have that book in electronic format. For bedtime reading I picked up "The Utility of Force," a paperback I have had on my shelf for some time. It seemed apropos. Today I read the chapter on Napoleon's military genius of two centuries back. What was it? Trust his subordinates, and encourage them to trust their subordinates. Keep the Army light and maneuverable. Separate the army along the march, only bringing it together at the last moment to confront the enemy. That's only a few thoughts – it's obvious that our opponent of the moment has not learned from the study of military history.
The temperature has hit 70 about twice in this much colder than usual spring. The weatherman has favored Ukraine – Russian soldiers came lightly dressed, for a quick campaign, and did not anticipate the springtime mud. This also does not favor the climate change folks. While both I and they wish the weather would warm up, it steadfastly refuses.
That's the news from Lake WeBeGone, where the strong men are wearing shorts on account of the calendar not the weather, the good looking women appreciate being able to do yard work without working up a sweat, and the kids are justifiably proud of above average accomplishments.
Quite amazing, not really, that Zoriana is now enjoying the freedom of her ride, a small step toward personal independence. Even at a young age, mastering the bike is an accomplishment, a small step forward. I can recall my days of freedom on a bike, as I realized the hand on my bike seat was no longer there. There will be future scrapes and tumbles, so be prepared.
Lovely to see some normality in the midst of madness.