I had a graduation party of sorts yesterday. Late, granted, but there was just so much going on around the time when I actually did graduate, so we couldn’t fit it in until now. And this is probably going to be the most boring post I’ve written, or at least among them, because here I sit and am just So Happy.
Happiness is not an interesting subject to read about, because there is no friction. It just is. And it’s rare that anyone would want to write about it too, because of that frictionlessness. It just is. No need to analyze.
But let me just tell you this: I am one lucky bastard. (Literally, my parents weren’t married when I was born.) Walking around among the talking, laughing people yesterday, I thought: These are my people. There’s so much life lived here, and I can’t even begin to count all the ways in which I’m all intertwined with them. Some want no strings attached, crave freedom, but I can’t imagine a life without these people tying me to Earth. I want to bake strawberry cakes and make strawberry daiquiris for them forever.
Elin (with Christian and their daughter Ruth) gave me a necklace with a small piece of map showing Walvis Bay, Namibia, where she and I did fieldwork together in 2010. Natalia and her mom gave me the most beautiful glass cake plate. Kirke was there with Zorro, and Cecilia and Isak with Embla. Hannes. Emilie, Marita and Frida. Vivi and Carmen, Josh and Anders. Helene, Morena, Vadim and firecracker Jakob. Aunt Sinikka and cousin Lisa Marcela with her family. Mom. Childhood, primary school, Tanzania, high school, Bolivia, bachelor’s and master’s level studies, all represented. My people. It was amazing.
(Of course, some people were missing. Vacation times and all. I haven’t forgotten you! You know who you are!)
So now, the day after, I’m content with being content, and finishing Ashley’s sweater.
Katja Malmborg 