DEC 11, 18 .. A DAY OFF .. I NEVER LEFT MY HOTEL ROOM TODAY

Last Sunday was a very ‘taxing’ day for Mike and myself.

We* gave a 10am talk at the main recovery center here in Kyzyl ( КЫЗЫЛ ).

*Make no mistake. Mike and I are a team. He is a highly intelligent man who has held extremely high positions here in Russia and is a no-nonsense person who can, and does, carry on well past what I may say.

This is a very large facility where many, if not most, of the clients are in residence for at least several months-at-a-time.

When we walked into the room it was ‘standing room only’. Literally, all of the seats were occupied and around the perimeter of the room both clients and staff were standing.

At this point, we have spoken here a fair number of times.

Believe me, with up to several talks a day now spanning 11-days, they are running together in my mind like oatmeal as to remembering where and when. But there is no doubt in my mind that we have given many more talks here than at any other venue including those in Irkutsk.

At my age of 82-years, the people are also running together in my mind. It seems like a lot of people ‘know’ me and I don’t know many of them by name. I do have about ten kind people here that I most certainly, and very clearly, recognize and remember. I make a point to single them out and speak to them as personally as I am able.

I warmly greet them when I see them ..

“Hi! It is SO VERY NICE to see you again. THANK YOU so very much for your support.”

They do not speak English. I do not speak Russian. Lots of hugs and smiles and good body language.

Five or so I can, and I do, call by name.

As I was about ready to begin my talk, before I had uttered so much as one word, a middle-aged man in the front row, directly in front of me, stated in a somewhat authoritative and certainly a louder-than-normal tone of voice :

“Who is paying you to be here!?”

I replied that no one is paying me one-thin-Russian ruble to be here doing what I am doing. I went on to state that I myself am paying Mike money not only to assist me but to cover his costs of being away from Irkutsk.

Undaunted he went on .. and he went on some more .. and even more. He rather proudly stated that he was a journalist.

At that point I said to him, “Oh! You’re not a client. You’re here representing the Kyzyl press?”

Well, he backed down just a tad and acknowledged he was indeed a patient.

Then an elderly (very ragged and seemingly drunk) man next to our above journalist challenged me with, “What are you going to do to help me!?”

I fired back at him, “Obviously I am not going to be able to do anything for you Sir since you are not seemingly willing to listen to me.”

He got up and left. As did several others.

After the meeting the staff admitted that they were very dismayed at the above behavior and by the fact that any one client left. One staffer told Mike the journalist is NOT a journalist and has been in treatment more than once.

Out of approximately 40 people to begin with, I estimated that about 15 left at various times during the meeting.

At some point in this scenario, a fair number of the younger male clients, raised their voices and aggressively told the hecklers that they wanted to hear me and for them to shut-up and let me speak. More than a few of the female clients were either crying or visibly upset.

Once I got going, I stated emphatically that “One MUST want to be sober.” I looked directly at the journalist in the front row and asked him, “When you leave this recovery center, are you going directly to a bar and take a drink?” .. “Or do you want to stay sober?”

He had calmed down considerably at this point and replied (rather emphatically) .. “No I won’t go to a bar. I really want to stay sober.”

And after the meeting, he stepped forward and shook both Mike and my hands.

BOTTOM LINE : This two hours took a lot out-of-me.

After the meeting, as seems to be the custom here, Mike and I were served very nice meals.

After two hours of ‘combat’ I was hungry and readily ate everything except the dark red beet-root salads (on the left above). Let me also say that, here in Russia, they seem to have a real talent for making ‘hearty’ soups.

Following this meeting, we had a 2pm meeting, a smaller, calmer meeting.

Then yesterday I spoke at the Medical University.

BOTTOM LINE : I really needed a day-off today.

In addition to sleeping late and resting on-and-off all day, I published what I consider to be a nice post on blogspot.

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2018/12/dec-11-18-kyzyl-republic-of-tuva-russia.html

There is no way that the above (one and only one) negative experience at the Sunday morning meeting will take-me-down.

Still Smiling.

Cap

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