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Sunday, March 6, 2022

Aiding the Ukraine: Abstract versus Concrete


abstract - adjective - existing in thought but not having a physical or concrete existence (Google).

concrete - adjective - existing in material form (Google).


Before retiring, I spent much time in various classrooms teaching my students of English the difference between abstract and concrete since literature blends both in symbolism. A symbol is usually a physical object that can be experienced via the senses, yet beneath the surface, it harbors profundity. Most things that surround us can possess larger meanings, but many of us are too busy living the day to day to notice, except when something egregious, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, interrupts the day to day, and we are forced to think creatively with a specific purpose in mind. 

Since we feel individually incapable of taking concrete actions to thwart the dirty tangible business occurring in Ukraine, we are leaning back on abstractions, notably sunflowers, representative of the fertile country that apparently grows them in abundance. I can't tell you how many Facebook posts I've seen emphasizing the Jurassic-tall flowers with leonine heads, advertising solidarity. Some of the posts also include the Ukrainian flag as a concrete marker just in case some people are in the woods regarding the photographs of the verdant, orange fields and their intention. It's all good, of course. Believe me, I'm all for subtle or blatant reminders to stand behind a small nation that is, at present, at the mercy of autocrat Putin, his band of greedy Russian oligarchs, mercenaries and other unfriendly usurpers, including the regular recruits in the army. Yet I can't help but ask, "Is posting abstract visuals on social media all that we can do?" Nope. We can definitely do more.

Fortunately, a friend and former colleague (leave it to the English teachers to step into the door of altruism) emailed me that the World Central Kitchen (worldcentralkitchen.org) is in the midst of accepting donations, which will enable it to feed Ukrainian refugees pouring into neighboring, neutral countries like Poland. At last, there is something concrete as opposed to abstract that we can do to make things just a teensy bit more tolerable for these poor people. Perhaps we can't stand in the way of the plummeting bombs, but we can help feed the hungry stomachs that have managed to skirt them. If this entry sounds like a commercial, maybe it is. Donate generously to any of the organizations risking lives to save lives. When it comes to war, the concrete means can mean more than the abstract.


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