After an explosive night, children in Ukraine go to school
Even under such conditions, everybody’s got to learn sometimes
We looked at each other with familiar, rehearsed clarity, quickly jumped from the bed and ran to the corridor in darkness. Another time after another time. It’s like a groundhog day. It’s like a groundhog night. Russian attacks happen frequently now and, thus, we as frequently wake up from distant and more proximate explosions. It’s a strange sensation — to be awakened by something that carries such an immediate threat to your life. The body is so ready to run you don’t have to force anything.
What kind of stress is that?
Later today I met my landlady to pay a monthly rent. She has a small dog — Mimi — who she says isn’t afraid of these loud sounds, thankfully. She also told me how other dog owners complain about the distress caused to their pets. Some of them suffer from rashes and other skin diseases, in others heart and digestive systems come under attack.
It’s our dogs, so close and important to us, so we see and know everything about them.
I wonder how other animals feel — the wild birds, squirrels, rats and hedgehogs that I often see in the city.
