This is a continuation of my reading of Victor Herman’s book, Coming Out Of The Ice, An Unexpected Life, out of print for some time. Just a reminder of why I am doing this. I consider this book to be extremely important, because it is a glimpse into what we can expect if we do not resist the oncoming tyranny. Victor Herman, in discussing his experiences in the Soviet gulag emphasized: “Don’t think it can’t happen here.” And, it is now happening here.
The series begins here.
Some years ago I was interviewed by a journalist about what it takes to be an entrepreneur because at the time I was involved in three separate start-up businesses, all of which ultimately failed. My answer to that question then, which may be completely off the mark, was:
You need to get comfortable with living on the edge of disaster.
Because that’s how it felt. At any moment I could lose everything. Everything? And what is that? Something different for everyone I suppose. It seems now, after close to four years of global insanity, that we are all at risk of losing everything, whatever that might mean to you.
And as we approach Christmas, I am reminded of the children’s story by Dr. Seuss - How The Grinch Stole Christmas. For a time, for me that Grinch was personified by Dr. Anthony Fauci who, although not really in charge of anything, represented the physical threats against us, the loss of jobs and small businesses, the theft of wealth from the poor and middle class by the super-wealthy, the shut down of schools, businesses, parks, churches, the whole of society, and of course, the deaths, not from Covid, but from the hospital treatment protocols imposed by the CDC, the withholding of safe and effective treatments, the isolation of the sick and dying, and of course, the jabs.
But the story of the Grinch gave me a lot of hope because, if you remember, when the Whos down in Whoville had everything taken from them by the Grinch, they did not despair, they did not turn on one another, they sang with joy and gratitude for what they did have. That could, and should, be us.
What does this have to do with Victor Herman and his story? And us now?
We need to become psychologically resilient. Part of that is in experiencing the realization that security is an illusion, and that life is fundamentally not secure. In some ways, psychological abuse can be much more damaging than physical abuse. And we have all suffered psychological abuse on an epic scale these past four years.
This image may seem mysterious, until you hear this chapter. In it, we hear of “uncertainty”. And we hear of the damage uncertainty can do.
We passed the time that way, Sumbatov and I - until the night the feeder opened and they called him.
. . .
He called back, “Do I take my things?”
. . .
“No. You will not need them anymore. Get ready!”
And then the feeder slammed shut.
. . .
How long did Sumbatov stand by the Parasha waiting? An hour? Two hours? And then he sat down by the door. And still he waited, and he would not talk. Toward morning, he was still there waiting when I drifted off to sleep. The last thing I saw was Sumbatov squatting silently by the door.
. . .
They didn’t take Sumbatov out that night - nor any night for a week after that. But in that week his hair fell out, and the little that didn’t, a fringe that went from one ear around the back to the other, that turned white.
. . .
I don’t know what I thought of. I don’t think I thought of anything special. Perhaps I thought about the rubber ball. I don’t know. Or about Sumbatov and his hair turning white.
The reading is here. As always, I hope you appreciate Victor’s words.