Where do people go when they stop blogging? How can they stand not knowing what’s going on in the lives of the friends they’ve made online? How can they stand not knowing how the story continues? Even though I can go weeks without posting, I can’t imagine stopping forever. Or, well, I can, but I don’t want to. I like having this record of my life, my thoughts, my obiter dictum. I still think about blog friends, online friends, who left the blog world years ago. Just dropped off, stopped writing, as if no one cared that they were gone. I wonder what they’re doing. I hope they’re okay.
Sometimes I’ll see them on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter…so I know they’re still alive. The lure of the quick and easy 140 character limit has won over nearly everyone these days. Blogging takes time and thought and sometimes research and preparation. It’s WORK. But satisfying work, nonetheless. I think it’s the most rewarding form of social media, and I’m not even talking about the affirmation and validation. The act of writing itself is a reward.
I’m officially on vacation tomorrow. Or more to the point: staycation (or hemester as they call it in Swedish). If this had been a normal year, we’d be heading to the States right about now. Instead, we’ll be spending our time off at home. Working on projects around the house, like everyone else, everywhere. I have already crossed off several things on my to-do list, but I also added several things, so no itemized progress has been made. Tomorrow I’m going to spend the day with my two best friends…we’re going to Bosjökloster to see the exhibitions and have lunch. Anders and I are also talking about a couple of places to take day trips to, during the next three weeks; we’ll see what we decide on.
Other updates
Karin got accepted to Linné University and will start in the fall (in, like, a MONTH! EEK!) in Växjo. It’s about 2.5 hours north of here. She’s enrolled in an international marketing communications program but is still awaiting word on whether the school will be holding classes or only providing online learning. If the former, she also has to find a place to live and student housing was tight before the pandemic; now it’s REALLY hard since so many people have applied for school since they are out of work.
Martin quit his job at the sushi restaurant, since his boss was doing shady stuff with his salary, and had lowered it back down to $3-something an hour. Since they are still not getting much in the way of tips, which is what he was basically living on before the pandemic, he couldn’t afford to keep working there. He’s been applying to several different places, had an interview at Dominos on Saturday, and got the job on the spot. They pay much better, though I suspect he will tire of it quickly, so I hope one of the other applications pans out. He and Malachi, and their friend/current roommate Isis, are moving this coming week to a new apartment across the street from where they currently live. They are quite happily in the middle of arranging furniture, painting, cleaning, etc. Martin has turned into a plant-daddy, and has acquired a whole jungle of green growing things to lavish attention on, including six plants from my grandmother’s apartment that really need the love. I never got to see his first apartment! (I mean, apart from photos and video phone call tours). I hope I’ll get to see this one in person at some point.
I remembered yesterday that the AWC board needs to get in gear for the fall, and our new season and started sending emails and messages to people. We are facing a crisis, both thanks to the pandemic and the fact that two vital members of our board are stepping down at the end of September, and we don’t have any good replacements lined up. We haven’t been able to have any activities or meetings since February, and it’s looking like that will continue through the end of the year, which means that all three of our biggest events will be canceled and/or drastically scaled down. I am beginning to wonder if we’ll survive all of this. In addition, of our three activities officers, which are basically the most important jobs on the board; one has been sick with COVID-19 since March, one has ghosted us completely, and the third one has been useless; she lives quite far away, offers to help, but doesn’t do anything concrete. 🙁 URGH. The sick one is one of the ones stepping down, and while I can’t blame her, I am really bummed, because she was really good, and active the first part of the season, before she got sick. So, we have at least 4 positions to fill and under the circumstances, none of them will be easy. GAH. And all that isn’t even ON my to-do list yet.
And you? How ARE you? Are you okay?