A few days ago I was amused by a comic where the main character was negotiating with a travel agent for a world trip. The upshot of the panel was that the only possibility for her budget was to buy a subscription to National Geographic! This really struck home with me. Although I have made a few international trips in my lifetime, I have not been much of a world traveler. Even though I have the means, I never was a comfortable traveler either internationally or domestically. However I have been an avid reader of the National Geographic from childhood. In childhood my parents did not provide the National Geographic but our neighbors did subscribe and loaned the magazine to me.
I think I got a great education over the years in forming my world view via this magazine. However things can change. I have changed and National Geographic has also changed. After all these years I have abandoned receiving the printed copy. I will no longer read the monthly magazine cover to cover. It will not be total abandonment of this classic magazine but I will continue with a digital version where I can select the articles of interest and almost daily scan the highlights. A new era. Also the magazine has gone to such small print both for the articles and picture captions, I find it difficult to read it with comfort. Obviously they must be aiming at the younger reader.
So here with the end of the ski season, I will change from a world view focus on daily ski fixes, raise my head and look more widely at the world around me, both locally and beyond. What I see internationally is quite disturbing. In my comfort in America I still feel united with the people of Ukraine as a human being exposed to injustices of the world. Although I will never visit Ukraine, in my world view people of the world wherever they are need to respond with at least empathy and recognize that Ukraine's tragedy is our tragedy.
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