It's April 14. We are somewhere in the Corona pandemic. How do you experience the situation?
Well, I moved to a very remote village in the middle of nowhere with very poor Internet. It just happened accidentally that we happened to be here with friends and we ended up being stuck here. So I have very little news and very little disturbances from outside. And I think I am not as impacted in terms of the levels of stress that are around me.
So, I am actually experiencing it as a very good quality time in nature and with very good contact with my family and my friends.
So it's somehow a special time. And you said you're a bit distant from the news, at the same time, is there anything you notice about yourself or your society or the place you're in?
Well, it has been a very special time to connect to myself and I have learned a new trait in my character or maybe my dream: I have been always been a very outgoing and very social person and doing a lot of activities. Basically being connected to so many people and ideas and things.
And now I feel like I don't need it anymore. Well, maybe it's time to explore, like just being in touch with myself and am I noticing that every single connection with the outside world, is a really difficult decision. Like, do I want to have another Skype call? I think I am becoming much more selective.
But also just like I feel like I need less activity on the social front. And I feel much more comfortable with myself and just being alone or not doing much at times instead of the usual run, run, run, run, run. Talk to people, talk to more people, reach even more people, thousands of article views. This was like the major change, I guess.
Thank you. We talked a bit about the present and how you experience it. And I want to invite you to look ahead to a time when we collectively learn to live well with the virus. Is there anything you want more of or less of in your life, in your society?
Well, I'm living here in this very remote place. I'm learning how little the state capacities are and the social capacities are to address pretty much any challenge. So you have to rely on yourself or die – just because the infrastructure is really weak, the level of professionalism is very low. Access to services is nonexistent or very poor.
So I've been really focused on how to pile up the energy inside to deal and address things on my own without relying on other people or state or the government or whoever. But what I guess I want more is just feeling the outside support. And the feeling that you are not alone and if the challenge comes, someone will be there to support or help. Like in these extreme times.
I'm also going through a very important period with my mother because she's ill and and she's not really feeling well. And it has been a while and it may take a while. And I understand I am alone in this. So sometimes I feel like I would like to have a little bit more support and people to rely on, like in crisis situations.
Anything that you imagining now that you want less off in the future?
I feel that right now I want less communication, less activism and just generally less interactions with the outside world. It's very strange because I am teaching and facilitating and do a lot communication and negotiation trainings. So it's like I like I want less communication and less negotiation. But on the other hand, I am very resistant to the whole idea of online everything. So I definitely want less online. And I want to appreciate more the depth of contact with people, in other words. So that's sort of my aspiration for now. More quality and depth as opposed to more contacts.
The last question: if you think of the future what is your wildest dream? Something you might not even dare to dream on local level, in your life or on societal level? What would be a best possible future?
Well, I guess I will answer that two different levels. One is that one of my personal cray ideas is to go to the states and get a PHD. I'm still dreaming into it.
And considering, like a wider context. I mean, we have survived the fire yesterday. So I'm in a way in a post-traumatic situation and seeing how things work and what doesn't work. I guess I am dreaming of a more healthy connectedness and community and better relationships in general across people close and far. So there is more care and more awareness more care generally for the people and the nature around. With the fire yesterday it was obvious how it can get so big. And that me as a person, whoever I am, I have very little influence on things like this. But if I join with other people, it may help. I really felt yesterday that I want more healthy connectedness to other people. And again, not in terms of more contact, but just more empathy and more feeling and more care just as human beings for each other.
Beautiful. Thank you very much. I will stop the recording.
