Z For Zelenskyy
On having a purpose greater than oneself.
If you have watched any coverage of the Russian assault and war against the people of Ukraine, and sadly I have seen a good deal, you may have noticed something peculiar about their vehicles. They have big painted letterz on them, some X and many Z. I imagine there are other letters. This is likely for two reasons: (1) to help protect against friendly fire, and (2) to help each unit cohesively know their destination. Which city or militarily significant location are they heading to.
Like many who will read this, I didn’t know that before this war. Like many who will read this article, I hadn’t heard of Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy until recently either. And my first thoughts were that he was perhaps naive. He questioned Western intelligence services that were essentially certain that Russia was going to invade Ukraine and seemed to almost stick his head in the sand, at times, so that life would continue as normal.
I was, of course, wrong about Zelenskyy. Or, perhaps, I was wrong about life in general and knowing why someone would act a certain way. Because what I see now is the quintessential version of selflessness. Someone who has given themselves over to a higher purpose. It’s in his body language, it’s in his refusal to be evacuated from Ukraine, and it is in his words: “I am not iconic, Ukraine is iconic.”
I believe with absolute confidence Zelenskyy means what he says, and I believe he is altogether willing to die for that purpose, the people of Ukraine. In fact, I believe he knows the likelihood of this happening is near certain. No different than Martin Luther King, Jr., I would add, who predicted his death the day before it happened.
Those tanks with Zs on them — they are heading to assassinate Zelenskyy. And they are not first in line to try — Putin has already done so and failed. But when I see the Zs, I do not think of tanks. Or Russian might. I think, instead, of the might of conviction. How one person, with a purpose so far greater than himself — freedom itself — has inspired the world. And I think Z is for Zelenskyy.