Life is not a spectator sport

I’m neurodivergent with dyslexia. Language comprehension and communication have always been difficult for me. I failed kindergarten, and one of my first memories is that of my parents deliberating on whether or not I should continue on to first grade. The only two subjects I excelled in at school were math and history. In both subjects, I developed a gift for pattern recognition and drawing connections within complex structural systems. Growing up during the emergence of the personal computer proved fortuitous by providing a technological crutch for my language weakness.

 

Hands-on learning was always more intuitive and instructive than book reading. In high school, I wanted to better understand how the US government worked, so I applied and became a Senate Page on the US Senate Floor. In university, I wanted to study history, but ultimately pursued finance, intending to work with a multinational high-tech company that would facilitate international travel and a more immersive historical education of the different parts of the world.

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I was fortunate to join Intel corporation for 20 years.  I thrived in Intel’s culture because its values aligned with many of my own. Intel didn’t care about your educational background or communication ability. They only cared about delivering results. Extreme ownership was also encouraged by expecting employees to take full responsibility for any issues they came across, regardless of assignment. You owned that issue until resolution or successful transfer to the correct individual. As an employee, you were expected to be “action-oriented” in all aspects of your job.

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At Intel I became a citizen of the world.  Many of my employees and coworkers live all over the world.  I was also able to live and work in Russia and Ukraine for 4 years and across Europe for an additional 3 years.  I have spent over 10 years living in different parts of the world.  I always took full advantage of all of my travels to deeply understand the history of each place I lived or traveled to.

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While living in Russia, I sought to understand the origins of the volatile political climate that perpetuated so much tragedy and destruction over the last century. I put this question to a prominent Russian lawyer I worked with, and received the following answer:

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“We Russians have had the government and circumstances we deserve due to our apathy and ignorance.”

 

This response has haunted me for the past few years as I observed rising political, institutional, and economic volatility within my native country and across the world.

 

Most of society has these same concerns, but remains in their comfort zone, choosing to fill social media with outraged comments instead. Talk is cheap and generally doesn’t solve problems. Problem-solving requires taking ownership and hands-on engagement with specific actions to achieve the sought-after resolution.

 

This is why I have set up a nonprofit organization, Slava Ukraini, to address life and death issues in war-torn Ukraine and support this nation’s right to self-determination and to defend its land and loved ones from Putin’s unlawful invasion. 

 

I hope you will also take ownership and directly support the Ukrainian people and nation in their hour of need.

 

Parry Jarman