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I Met a Ukrainian Yesterday
We didn’t talk about the invasion
When I went to get my chemo yesterday, the nurse who helped me had a European accent I thought I recognized. I could tell it was Eastern European but I wasn’t sure what part, and I didn’t want to risk offending her. But I was curious, so I asked.
“Excuse me, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but are you European?”
She was not offended. Instead, she told me she was Ukrainian.
“I had a friend from that region when I was in graduate school,” I told her. “He was a very nice person.”
She smiled and we talked about other things, including my treatment plan.
I think she actually appreciated that we stuck to normal topics of conversation. I didn’t want to mention the war unless she brought it up, because I don’t know what her situation is, if she still has family there, or any of the details that I’d need to be careful of. Also, from my experience with people from that part of the world — it takes time to open up.
It’s not that they don’t, but they like a foundation of trust before they share intimacies. Some cultures never talk about certain things.
Americans will bring up sensitive topics quickly. I once had someone open up about her daughter’s death the first time we…
