This year my resolution is to take three steps towards every single hare-brained idea that occurs to me. So here they are so far:
1. Start a Podcast focusing only on women with blue hair, with each episode telling the story of someone who's chosen to dye their hair blue.
2. Curate a art show featuring only artists who have day jobs as healthcare providers.
3. Start a Super Pac dedicated to promoting candidates who are pro-consensus.
4. Free Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. A good friend of mine is a relative. In a rare, personal facebook post, she noted, that if every person she knew, and his extensive contacts here in the states, had pressured the United States to intervene on his behalf, he might be free. So, why is he not free?
Here is his story. He became President of Peru in 2016. He's currently under house arrest. The conditions are reportedly very poor and he has health issues. He is 83. A year older than my mother.
He's been a player at the very highest levels of the world economy, and you know, that always seems opaque and slippery to me, and beyond my understanding. But I remember him coming up to see my friend a few times during college. He always went on long runs, no matter what was going on or the weather. He went in the evening, and if we were all going out to dinner, and ready to get in the cars and go, well, that was just too bad. It was such a contrast to my father, who never exercised at all. I remember my father discussing with my mother, his voice horrified, that he'd read an article saying running sapped one's libido. "Mark," my mother said, "then you mustn't do it."
When he became president of Peru, he undertook some laudable efforts at social reform. He sought to be inclusive of indigenous people, promoted abortion rights, women's rights, and the rights of the LBTG community as well. He apposed Maduro, Venezuela's leader.
I really don't know where to begin with this. I spoke to one of the surgeons I work with, catching him as he was going out the door, carrying a bunch of empty boxes. His name is Dr. Ter-Petrosyan. He's a good man. His family emigrated from Armenia to South America. I thought to Peru. He's a big man, almost 7 feet tall, with a funny square head and square glasses, which accentuate his boxy, kind face. I thought I'd start with him, since he's the only Peruvian I know, outside of Paddington Bear, who is an imaginary character.
"You're from Peru, right?" I asked him. He looked a little exasperated, but in a nice way. I felt bad. The surgeons work so hard, I feel bad asking for any extra minute of their time.
"No, Nicaragua, actually."
"Oh, God." I said. "I'm sorry." I felt really stupid. It was such a stupid, white person thing to do. A real "Karen" move. Mix up Latin American countries. As if they're all the same. "Didn't you give a big talk about medicine in Peru?"
"Yes. But I'm not actually from there. So, that is why you thought that. Well, what do you want with Peru, Miss Haley?" He put the boxes down and gave me his full attention.
I told him. He nodded.
"Here is the thing," he said, after I had finished, in his formal way. "I have a great deal of respect for you, Miss Haley, and I think this is something we could perhaps move in some way positively towards, and I know a lot of doctors in Peru. It is not right, is it? It is unjust." He nodded. "I will work with you to fix it." He nodded definitively, picked up his boxes and walked out the door.
Well. There you have it. We'll see what happens. If you, dear reader, have any suggestions about next steps, please leave them in the comments.
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