Dear CIROS #2
I feel as if I were reading a fantastic novel, only to find that the last few chapters are missing.
Dear CIROS is an online initiative to link students together in the unprecedented times and isolating distance we live in today.
April 13th, 2020
Dear Pen Pal,
It was really nice to hear from you. In crazy times such as these it’s good to be reminded that our friends are still out there.
I’m currently in one of the countries I call home, back where I spent my adolescent days. Lately I have been wrestling with the weird conundrum of being an adult in one’s childhood bedroom. Looking around and being surrounded by familiar posters, books and knick-knacks, and yet feeling that they somehow don’t belong to you anymore… it’s both a comforting and unsettling feeling.
To be honest, it’s better than being out there. Things seem to be settling, but perhaps that’s just the initial shock wearing off. I agree with you that, of all the terrible things that I thought possible – world wars, climate catastrophes – a bona fide plague would have seemed the unlikeliest one. And yet, here we are.
As to what I’m thinking about… I’m not sure. Thoughts swirl around only to be silenced by boredom. If quarantine has taught me anything, it’s that having more time to think doesn’t necessarily equate to actually doing more thinking. To be honest, that’s perfectly fine by me; perhaps, it’s how it should be. We all need some time to deal with our feelings.
Personally, I’ve been sad lately. What should have been the best three years of my life turned out to be two-and-a-half amazing years, and a really awful six months. I feel as if I were reading a fantastic novel, only to find that the last few chapters are missing. I suddenly lost my friends, my freedom, and my home all in one fell swoop… and it all happened so quickly that I didn’t get to say goodbye to any of it.
I guess the whole world feels this way. That’s a comfort in some ways. It would seem misery does love company, and we’re all a little miserable right now. If that’s what the world needs, so be it.
I would love to hear more from you. I hope you’re feeling somewhat better than I; if not, we can be sad together.
— Sofia, writing from Germany
If you have thoughts, comments, ideas or anything you would like to share about this letter or the times we live in, feel free to direct them to info@cirosthehague.com.
Please indicate in your email if your letter is intended for publishing online.
If you wish to add your name to a list of Dear CIROS volunteers, please fill out this form.