[This is the 23rd in a series of conversations I have been having with an Afghan friend about life in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over his country last August. We have both come to the painful conclusion that there is no way he can safely get out of his country at the present time. Thank you to our mutual friends he mentions in this entry. Our conversations will continue, and I am protecting his identity for his safety.]
Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend. – Sarah Dessen, novelist.
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Dear David:
What is friendship?. People have thought about it for a thousand years, but as far as I can tell there is no specific definition.
Aristotle noted: “Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.”
When I was a student, most of my classmates told silly jokes, and their points of view disgusted me. But I did have a few friends who were loyal and we helped each other when we most needed help.
Four years ago, when it looked like I would have to leave the university because of financial problems, one of my friends said that he would support me until I finished and got my university degree. And that is what happened.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, and I started to write to you about the situation here, I have been able to make a few new friends overseas. Once or twice a week I speak with them, and I calm down from their words like a child when he hears his mother's voice. On dark days, theseis friendships are everything to me – they bring me hope, courage, and healing,
Of course friendship, like any other form of love, can cause suffering and misery, from endless pain and constant tearing to the deep wounds of betrayal, or the painful torments of unrequited love.
But friendships have many benefits. Friendship kindles love in the heart that gives color and depth to a person's life; It creates loyalty that breaks down the barriers of selfishness; It provides us with safe companionship and a haven when we are in trouble; It is a consolation for our sufferings, the patience stone for our agony, and a motivation for our efforts.
For now, I feel lucky that I have good friends, though few in number, lovely in nature.
***
MONDAY’s HEADLINES
Taliban forces pepper-spray women’s rights protesters in Kabul (Guardian)
‘We are struggling’: two former officials at Afghan women’s affairs ministry (Guardian)
A Human Can Befriend an Octopus. Can an Octopus Befriend a Human?
We still know very little about what goes on inside the mind of one of the ocean’s smartest creatures. (Atlantic)
Death of a King (New Yorker)
The story of how Michael King Jr. became Martin Luther King Jr. (WP)
Halting Progress and Happy Accidents: How mRNA Vaccines Were Made (NYT)
COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes (AP)
Surgeon general on Omicron: Next few weeks will be tough (Politico)
MAGA hats and QAnon: Inside Trump’s first rally of 2022 (Politico)
Census Memo Cites ‘Unprecedented’ Meddling by Trump Administration (NYT)
For Oath Keepers and founder, Jan. 6 was weeks in the making (AP)
DirecTV loss could cripple rightwing One America News (Reuters)
Trump Rally Underscores G.O.P. Tension Over How to Win in 2022 — Donald Trump’s rally in Arizona on Saturday featured a host of election deniers. His involvement in state races and his inability to let go of his 2020 loss worries many Republicans. (NYT)
The Justice Dept. alleged Jan. 6 was a seditious conspiracy. Now will it investigate Trump? (WP)
With Voting Bills Dead, Democrats Face Costly Fight to Overcome G.O.P. Curbs (NYT)
Texas synagogue hostage crisis ends with gunman dead (Reuters)
‘An act of terror’: Biden condemns Texas synagogue siege while FBI names Briton as hostage-taker (Guardian)
Time is running out to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine (Edit Bd/WP)
If the West fails to meet its security demands, Moscow could take measures like placing nuclear missiles close to the U.S. coastline, Russian officials have hinted. (NYT)
After crisis talks with Russia, the threat of war in Ukraine still looms. Here’s why. (WP)
This Is No Way to Be Human — We now occupy a nearly natureless world. (Atlantic)
Pacific volcano: Ash-covered Tonga is like a moonscape say residents (BBC)
Atmospheric pressure changes observed across globe (NHK)
Venezuela’s environmental crisis: ‘the beginning of a wave of destruction’ (Financial Times)
FEMA program to place disaster survivors in apartments, not trailer parks. (WP)
From Bob Dylan to Tina Turner: Why Are Artists Selling Their Music Catalogs? (WSJ)
‘The Timeline You’re All Living in Is About to Collapse’ — SNL’s inaugural episode of 2022 turned to dark, and often awkward, absurdity to explain our exasperating moment. (Atlantic)
Biden Authorizes U.S. Military To Shoot Down Any Harmful Greenhouse Gases That Enter Nation’s Airspace (The Onion)
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