Books People Have Given Me pt. 1
“A Problem from Hell”
On July 15th, Cindy and I met for coffee. At this point, I was already signed into my new lease in DC, and I was a few small weeks away from leaving Boston.
This was a friend of my ex who had come to see me as an individual outside of their partner. She became a friend in her own right. I always appreciated her questions.
On this day, we walked to Broadsheet Coffee. I loved that little place. I lived 6 minutes from it around the corner. It was a lovely little walk, one I was fortunate to share with other friends there.
The serenity of a small walk is a rare and special thing, especially so when shared with someone dear and who knows this, too. (Shout out: Mike, shout out: Maria)
In the final moments of this little coffee talk, she reached into her bag and pulled out a massive book, “A Problem from Hell” by Samantha Powers, the former US diplomat to the UN during the Obama Presidency. In that book, she confronts ethical questions of power: how is that a powerful country, like the US, can allow global atrocities, like the Rwandan Genocide?
I chose to move to DC, in part, for its access to careers that would better fit me. Another reason was to get close to an old dream I’ve had of becoming a US diplomat.
Cindy handed me this book with a message that only a friend could give: find a way to get involved, even if the system isn’t perfect.
More soon,
Trevor