A new blog, a new time frame.
Post PhD and officially I failed the academic job market.
New opportunities? I hope. Beginning a new (or continued) journey into the world of social work.
Is it goodbye sociology or can I combine the MSW with the sociology?
But it is goodbye to horrendous job experience not in the field I chose.
And it is a week of mourning as a dear feminist and friend lost her battle with cancer.
To loose a friend is horrible, but especially so when she is young and leaves behind a young son and her partner.
Why blog now? Well, my dear friend who we have lost inspired me. She kept a blog that not only detailed the daily experiences of life, but also chocked full of insights and commentary on the social world, books, and other things. I go back and read your posts and I am happy and sad. You're not here anymore, but your words live on. You said what you felt and you said it well. Your posts ranged from a response of laughter to outrage about the injustices of the world. But you were not afraid to say it, even when you were struggling with cancer.
Yes, she has inspired me to write this, as have other events currently and in the past.
In a time of sorrow, I shed my tears in grief because we have lost a great person. I hug your son in my mind and hope he will remember how beautiful and wonderful his mother was. I think of your partner and pray for him in this time of grief (and when I say pray, I mean in a broad, non-denominational way, which will be the subject of later posts).
And to think of you, I believe it is important to say what we think, believe, and feel. Follow your heart. Follow your passions. Be a mentor to others. By speaking to what we believe and our passions, we can make a difference. And these are lessons I learned from you.
I didn't get to say goodbye, but I hope you know from above, I truly appreciated your friendship and what you provided for me in being a friend and role model. May you rest in peace.