In spite of best efforts of its organizers, I managed to do something nice for our local veterans
As my mom would say, in spite of the best efforts of some of the people involved, I was able to get New Year/Hanukah presents to some of the Soviet World War II veterans living Skokie.
I mean, the veterans were happy to get presents, and that made it all worth it, but I've been through Russian bureaucratic processes that were less needlessly complicated than this.
I will, hopefully, write about this in more detail on this here LJ, because it is an epic tale of lack of communication (and in fairness, some of the people involved did try to do their best with the very limited information they were given), but this post is basically all I have the energy for right now.
Well, I did want to add one thing. I should note that veterans were so grateful that it honestly wasn't sure what to do with it. I mean, I met a man in his 90s who defended Leningrad during the Siege. Grandma Nina survived because of people like him. If anything, I owned *them* thanks. I was just a glorified package carrier.
I mean, the veterans were happy to get presents, and that made it all worth it, but I've been through Russian bureaucratic processes that were less needlessly complicated than this.
I will, hopefully, write about this in more detail on this here LJ, because it is an epic tale of lack of communication (and in fairness, some of the people involved did try to do their best with the very limited information they were given), but this post is basically all I have the energy for right now.
Well, I did want to add one thing. I should note that veterans were so grateful that it honestly wasn't sure what to do with it. I mean, I met a man in his 90s who defended Leningrad during the Siege. Grandma Nina survived because of people like him. If anything, I owned *them* thanks. I was just a glorified package carrier.