Once again many changes and a HUGE decision have happened in my life since my last blog post. I thought that I would have a chance to catch up on my blog posts in a way, since finishing graduate school. Yet, life isn't like that. Catching up and all. Life, change, and movement continues on its path. My blog posts can be non-linear. I'm sure that I will write about my thesis crunch time-period and other experiences I've recently had in years to come. My blogs do not have to be written in a liner time-line.
Oh, life! Big decisions, indeed! After much rumination, contemplation, inquiry, and meditation, I've made a HUGE decision, it's a BFD (Big Fucking Deal) to move to the Southwest in early October 2013!
Currently I'm packing, gleaning, and preparing for my departure! Woo! I've been feeling really tired the past couple of days. I've also begun a new documentary project about my late Grandma Shirley. The project is titled, JUST ASK SHIRLEY. I have a calling to hear different perspectives about my Grandma Shirley and to create a documentary about her. I have a yearning to know more about who she was. This past Thursday, I interviewed Thalia, a very dear friend of Shirley's. One of her best friends and a fellow activist. I also interviewed Karen and Laura who are good friends of the family. Thalia is their Mother. My Aunt Heidi was in town from New York and after much convincing, I got to do a short interview with Aunt Heidi. Aunt Heidi is a professor and has been working on a book about Shirley for the past 5 years. When the book is completed, I look forward to reading it and also interviewing Aunt Heidi in depth about Shirley's activism.
Shirley Hutner was Jewish, had leftist politics, was an activist in the Peace Movement, Anti-Nuke Movement, and Civil Rights Movement. She was an intellectual, world-traveler, Wife, and Mother.
I'm still processing and digesting the stories and experiences that I heard on Thursday. 4 interviews was a lot. I do look forward to the transcribing process when I'm in New Mexico. More will be gleaned and understood when I listen to the interviews and transcribe.
There are more family members that I will be interviewing next week. Reed, formerly known as Uncle Joel will hopefully be available to follow through with his interview on Monday. I will also be interviewing my cousin Elle next week as well. She was very close to Shirley my Mom said.
Aunt Heidi said in her interview that Shirley wore brown like a lot of people wear black today. One of the questions that I had for the interviewees pertained to her favorite color(s).
The short answer to my upcoming relocation to the Southwest is that I have a calling to go there. The landscape is amazing and I really resonate with it. I love the desert. There is a slower pace of life, employment opportunities in my field of film/media, and queer/trans communities. I've been doing my research. I do look forward to this momentous new chapter. Yet, I'm also experiencing the gradual closure and shift of completion of my time in the Bay Area. Many feelings have arose and I've been really surprised with the outpouring of love and sadness from my friends and community.
I've realized that I'm an important person in my community in the Bay Area. I do intend to continue to stay connected with my friends and community here. It's not a goodbye, it's more of a farewell. I've received so many reactions from friends, family, and community in regards to my decision that I was not expecting.
I did make the right decision and I do look forward to a new chapter in the SW. Yet, I will miss the Bay Area. I do look forward to visiting and having more time for art/cultural opportunities and connecting with friends when I visit.
Movement is life and the packing, gleaning, and preparation for departure are in motion. There is so much to do! Yet, everyday I have more clarity of the next step on my journey.
Onward and upward. Cheers to forward movement in my life and the next adventure!
Thank you for reading.
Ewan
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