too soon to write? technically yes, i guess. haven't even left the country. but since when has that stopped great minds? so a performance it was. a little nervous, yes. even patchy. but worth the while. oh so worth the while. i know not all conferences will be like this. in fact this might even be the exception. but it was a nice start. a very nice start. and who said academics don't get to perform? they do! and boy is it fun performing! now i have no reason left to feel left out when i think of people acting in plays and deriving a sense of belonging from those acts. i had my group here. i'll have another group the next time. hopefully just as nice. hopefully just the same people. ah we are hopeful!
the one thing i can say with a huge degree of certainty is that i haven't been this happy since i moved to the US. reminded me of old times. old people. but without the sadness. each moment came up as another one to be enjoyed. each feeling to be savoured. how many people can get so lucky? how many indeed.
the stories, there are many. the moments, there are many. recounting them is not my purpose. at least not right now. savouring them is. and so that is exactly what i am doing. savouring the feeling of being young again. of having no cares. of having the luxury of imagining oneself to be grown up. the right to be playful. the right to have fun. some people to have fun with. basic you would say. there are two sides of a coin.
and oh beautiful it all was! for once i do not have the words. and neither do i need them. i have the pictures in my mind and they say it all. here's one of them, just for starters.