I am swimming again

Yesterday was four months since I injured my arm. It is interesting how now from this perspective, the injury feels and looks as something ancient. At the beginning it seemed that I will never be able to move my arm, or to do anything with it.

And yesterday, I was able to swim again. That was an unforgettable feeling. Of course, as I wrote before, in the big picture of overall life, it is super small, infinitesimal thing, but in my world, it had a profound effect.

I was moving through water again! I was moving my arms, and most importantly I was moving my, still, crooked left arm. I was swimming.
I was quite protective of the arm, during first couple of meters, but then, it just became natural, as always before. I was swimming breaststroke, and it worked. Of course it wasn't fast, and it wasn't executed with a best style, but it did work. When I switched to free style, I felt a bit of pain in my left elbow, as I was now moving my arm much faster. And also, at this moment I wasn't able to extend my arm fully. I am still working on extension, and wear my "ex-tensor" splint religiously 8 hrs per night.

During the last two months since I started my (occupational) therapy, I was able to improve both extension and flexion of my elbow for 20 degrees. Of course, all of this was possible thanks to occupational therapy experts Susan, Sheryl and Sally. They have helped tremendously.
I am still far away to having a fully functional arm, but I am on the right track. Normal number for flexion is 145 degrees, and I was 114 on this Tuesday. If I can reach 130, my flexion will be in a functional range. In regards to extension, normally it is 0 degrees, and I had actually negative value of -3 degrees before the injury, and now I am 29 degrees before a treatment and I was 20 degrees after the treatment. That is almost a functional range.

This has been an interesting journey. Best thing was when I accepted that this will be a long process. It felt liberating when I understood that there is no miracle with such an injury. There was no unfortunately Dr. Leonard McCoy and his medical tricorder to instantly fix my ligaments, tendons and nerves :) 😆 But on the other hand everything else that Susan, Cheryl and Sally have used helped me to get to this stage.

I mentioned somewhere that my newest the most favourite animal was a turtle. I adopted the best attributes of a turtle - slow but steady.

I swam for 1 km, mixing breaststroke and free style, and the longest distance I was able to do at once was 150 m. When I swim next time, next week, I will try to do 1.5 km, and do 3 x 200 m at once. I am still weak, my left arm is weak, and it will take time to build muscles - that's why I still feel pain - as there has been muscle atrophy. When I look at my left biceps/triceps, they look pathetic 😮.

But it will get better and it will get to where it was, and I have an opportunity now to make it even stronger.

I am continuing this journey of recovery, and I am excited to do it.

Happy End for Establishment

Lado and Kornelija had dreams. They probably dreamt big. They were going to become somebody, and they were contenders.
Except they didn't live long enough to experience that and to make their judgement calls. They didn't live enough to finish schools, travel, get married, have families.
All was gone during one afternoon in 1992.
They were 18 and 20 when they died. In the war that has many truths. They fought for something that they didn't know they were fighting for. They thought there were fighting for something else.
The outcome that is not part of this story was different.
I was the lucky one on that October 10th, 1992.

Kornelija

Not far from Lado's and Kornelija's destroyed, but now liberated country there is a country that was country once as well. Kids were going to schools, they had enough food and water, and they've never heard sound that is produced by bomb shelling. Many of them were going to become somebody and to be contenders. To have families, to get education, to travel, to see sunrises and sunsets.
Their country was run by the "dictator".

Libya has ~6.4 million people, and approximately 1.5 million are children. Children are younger than Kornelija and Lado when they died. Good thing is that majority of children is still around, so they still have a chance to become somebody. And some of them will.

If you live in already free countries, and if you ever feel that you have some problems, try to imagine life in Libya. No need to mention other liberated countries. I cannot paint a picture of it as it would be a long description, but there is some great visual art that can accurately show you that. Even as a secondary or a third degree experience, you'll probably get a picture.
However, I know how that kind of life looks like. If you knew me you might've known about it. Or not, as I don't talk about it.
If you don't know me I could tell you about a war.

As a citizen of this world I am writing this as I am deeply concerned about our future. Two days from now there will be a new person running the most powerful country in the world, that I call the Empire. There are 4 candidates, but only 2 of them are contenders. Not much choice, especially if you research the main candidates. And yes, I say "research", not just read what is served by mainstream media.
This person decisions will affect us all, directly or indirectly.
I wouldn't be able to endorse or to vote for either one of the two main candidates. As everybody knows, one of them is totally out of any rational, common sense, and I expressed my thoughts about him on the great human achievement of the 21st century, Facebook.
I fear much more the other candidate, though.

HRC

This other candidate is a person who will become the person in charge of the Empire in just couple of days, and this person is responsible for destruction of Libya (and there is much more that you can easily research by yourself). This person also claims that she has spent her life fighting for kids and families.
Except when these kids are from Libya and have a wrong colour of skin.
This person is HRC.

This person will of course propagate different "truths", and that is expected. That's what privileged politicians do. HRC is enveloped in many layers of human "wisdom", and she claims she is experienced. Smart. Knows the ropes. Seen it all. Helped building her own country and the world. Knows policies.
And much of it is truth. There is a public record of it, as HRC served the people.
Her supporters will confirm that. Millions support her.

Millions are blind. Brain dead. Selfish. Unaware. Fake. They have their iPhone, TV, football, baseball, couch, their black Fridays/Cyber mondays, and their "sales" and "deals". If they travel they travel to all inclusive resorts. They get drunk a lot. They eat a lot. They have a good life. The catch is that they are not bad people, on the contrary, they are good people.
But good people can also be asleep.
Many of them are brilliant, but they don't have other choice. Or they are lazy to find out about other choices (other 2 candidates). They still believe that their system works. They don't understand that their system only works for their masters. Who create, approve, translate, manage and enforce the "laws".
They are slaves of the system they believe is the only right system.

It is so sad that at the end there is a choice between such a 2 people (unfortunately other 2 don't have any chance). Out of 300 000 000+ they haven't been able to choose anyone better!!!
How is that possible? That so many brilliant people end up with such choice?
They deserve better.
How is possible that their establishment can possess and exercise such power?
The Empire is the best ever empire to exist, and I know that there are so many empathetic, compassionate and good people who live in the Empire and truly fight for it. And for the all world. These people should be running the Empire, their society, and help the world become great like they are.
Nurses, teachers, drivers, carpenters, engineers, architects, doctors, surgeons......(I am forgetting here probably many, but if you care you'll get the picture).
Not these professional, privileged politicians.
But decent human beings.

These millions will enable HRC to get a job that she doesn't deserve to have. She doesn't deserve it not because she lacks any of skills needed for this position, on the contrary, she is qualified, based on her resume. Has it all. Done it all. And that is expected, if you spend a life time being part of the elite's power structure. Being privileged. Have it your way all the time. And also, being an obedient puppet to your masters, military industrial complex with 'too big to fail' banks and bankers, and those who own the media.
She doesn't deserve it because she doesn't have compassion towards human beings. If there was a unit for being fake, not authentic, tricky, distrustful, it would be called HRC (and all those similar). This might sound harsh, and unacceptable, and it might anger many - but that's how I feel, and that's what my sixth sense is telling me - based on what I've experienced, seen, and researched.
I've seen people die because of establishment's decisions.

One day she will invite you to her home and not long after that she will be ecstatic when your father is killed like a dog.

With Qaddafi's son in White House

This will be yet another example how there will be a wrong person holding an important job. And this time, it is the most dangerous since I've been aware.
Why not someone who is humane, warm, authentic, compassionate, merciful, who will talk instead of using bombs? Someone who will drop the shields?
Yes I know, that's too naive. As species we are not there yet.
Or are we?
One of the reasons why I am scared is because I've met people like HRC and they didn't treat me well. They threw me under the bus. And I survived.

HRC is responsible for hardships and lost future of Libyan people. Her "judgement" convinced her boss (and his European allies) at that time to destroy a whole country because "dictator was slamming rebellion against him", because of Arab spring.
That is an official reason for this destruction.
HRC knows the real reason. She knows that and her buddies/bosses from military industrial complex and banksters/media know it.

HRC is responsible for other destructions (find it on the internet, do your research), but any smart, compassionate and understanding humane, human being would agree that it is quite a lot, to destroy a whole country.
I am skeptical and don't trust anyone who destroys.

Would she support her government to be overthrown because of her government's role in suppressing people's desire for change? Do you remember Occupy movement?

The Empire is big and strong because of all faults, weaknesses and strength of its people. And there are, many of them who want something different, they want change, they know that the system that the Empire is based on will not last too long. None of the Empires did. These bright people recognize danger to the world when HRC becomes "commander in chief".
These people are stunningly brave, courageous and beautiful at the same time, and some of them sacrificed themselves for different and better future.
Unfortunately they are minority for now, and all the rest, sleeping crowd will prevail yet again.

It would be unfair not to say that HRC did good things too. You can find it on the internet if you are interested, it is quite easy to do that.
I could write another story about that, and it would be a good story, because it would have a happy end, and it would certainly end on a positive note.
But, nothing in nature ends in a positive note all the time. When a lioness kills a zebra, it is not quite good ending for the zebra.

Ask prisoners in the Empire's prisons. Has there been a happy end? Will HRC (at least) close Guantanamo Bay? Her predecessor lied about that. Of course there is an excuse for that.
Imagine if you as an average person lie like that, and if you lie that much?
If you always have an excuse.
Well, politicians do have it. Establishment does have it.
There is a message, directly from the top - lying is allowed, and as a matter of fact, quite allowed (while writing this it felt as I discovered a new continent)  :)

And now when HRC will have an absolute power, only question is who will be the next to be destroyed. Anyone who doesn't want to be liberated? Anyone who doesn't comply to the Empire's rules?  Or whatever her masters want to do next. Maybe they'll want to play with some new weapons, or maybe they'll simply want MORE.
Imagine if they dismantle or liberate North Korea, or China or Russia, how many refugees will be in that case?
HRC will comply, and she will work for her masters, not for millions who "choose" her.

Unfortunately there will be more Kornelija's and Lado's and more Libyan children. Who cares about them if the only goal is to have more?
I want more too, but I am still conscious about others. They should have more too. All of us can have more.

If all of this is a problem, what is the solution to the problem?
Only solution is to educate yourself and find those bright, brave and courageous people, and together plant a seed for some different future.
Question establishment at any place, any time, any occasion. Question them, make them possibly uncomfortable by exposing their incompetence, and hold them responsible - execute consequences based on their lack of accountability. Create consequences.
And never repeat what they've done. Create a policy that explicitly says that.
Create not that happy end for establishment.