I have finished and handed in the final draft of my thesis on Yugoslavia in the 20th century. This has been a huge endeavor and represents 5 years of study, research and travel. It is done. I felt good, at the end, in making some bold presumptions concerning the future of SE Europe, and that was it. Now there is a space in my life…What’s next? I still have to write some personal words about my goals for photography for the b/w darkroom course I am engaged in and finish the small portfolio I have started. I can do the lab work next week and write the paper today. Then I will have finished the semester, take the fall off, and cross my fingers over the spring semester in Greece. I have begun thinking that even if I do not get in to the school, that I will go anyway for the time and visit the southern Mediterranean during the off season, finishing up my trip with the Greek convention. In many ways I need a break from the former Yugoslavia and Greece and Turkey might be the ticket.
The date did not happen. I asked and she said ‘no’, but nicely. The experience put me in an emotional tailspin that landed me on my pity-pot for a few hours. I lost all gratitude for the above experiences as well as the whole of the past 7 years of sobriety. I eventually snapped out of it and let it go.
Mom has bursitis in her hip. She also thinks she has been driving her car for the whole year-and-a-half she has been in bed, in the hospital, or whatever. What a shocker for her. “Bullshit”, she said. “I can drive…I still have my licence.” “Sorry, but you cannot.” I guess we should all be thankful that she can fight back, but that’s all he can do. She cannot win. She’ll wreck the car if she gets behind the wheel. Time to keep an eye out. She might try to make a break for it…
Johnnyboy