As I’m writing this, there was just recently a terror attack in London. Awful of course, but I feel a bit extra since I just three weeks ago stood there by the bridge taking the classic tourist photos of Big Ben. It made me realize just what kind of bubble we live in here in Lund. As I look in my very full calendar I note that all activities and meetings I have planned are related to school or the union. There are group assignments, meetings with the committee, a kick-off with the collegium, the tandem race queue, honours track seminars, Malmö Nation’s Vårbal and so on. I have, for example, not met my family in weeks and I have not met my “old” friends in months (even though many of them live in Lund or Malmö).
You walk around worrying about if your appeal on that exam will pass so you get a better grade, if you can wear that leather jacket yet, or who you can ask to buy you a ticket to Valborg celebration at Malmö’s so you don’t have to stand in the queue. You don’t even think about whether we’re having a terror attack coming upfront or not, how the Brexit is playing out, or how the extremist parties are getting more and more votes is various elections around Europe. We’re studying at university to learn about how things are working and to be prepared to come out in the “real world”. But I feel as if all you learn is theories, often without realism.
Even though our little bubble is wonderful and comfortable, I encourage you all to make some time for the “real world”. Go visit you parents and old friends. Take a minute and appreciate that we don’t live under terror threat, that we’re not in a starvation crisis or that we don’t have a president building walls. Have your eyes wide open and most importantly: take this issue of Lundtan and go out and enjoy it in the sun. Caution: it’s probably not warm enough to wear that leather jacket.
I wish you a lovely spring with lots of sun and tasty drinks (see my tip in the monthly mash-up)!