6/16/2021
Dear JRB,
Right now, you are sitting with VPP listing off the issues that are bugging you. I wonder who in my life I have as many differences with. Luckily, I can think of only 2 people & the lists of differences are not very long: 1 colleague who feels like I stole his job & 1 student who feels like I did not come to her defense. Other people don’t like me, but I don’t have to work with them so having a sit-down to air our differences is not warranted.
I think AIRing your differences has psychological benefits, but my Google search to find out what they are, provided info about AIR conditioners & the advantages of breathing fresh AIR. Speaking of which, I hope you take a minute to go on a walk with Jill in the fresh AIR of the Alps. It will do you a world of good.
I found 1 article in the Atlantic discussing “the mental and physical benefits of airing your grievances” quoting Dr. Pennebaker who said that suppressing thoughts and feelings is associated with long-term stress and associated health problems. So, I hope you feel a sense of relief after giving VPP a piece of your mind.
It would be nice if some good news could come out of the meeting. Perhaps you can agree to exchange prisoners: Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko or maybe Paul Whelan for Vicktor Bout. It would be wonderful if you could convince VPP to release Alexei Navalny, but we both know that’s unlikely.
It was fascinating to see all of the pictures of you two in the library watching the scuffle between the journalist & Russian security people. Each one tells its own little story about the climate in the room.
