The road to Sweden ...
… is still there, it just feels a little longer right now. Undoubtedly our strongest bonds can be challenged by separation. Not being able to return to Sweden makes us miss picking blueberries and smultron in the woods, going out for a drink and a meal at any torg, or simply reconnecting with friends, strengthening our roots and relationships in the motherland.
As one of our Michigan readers found out in June (p9), right now is not a good time to visit Sweden. More than ever, we live in a time of constant change, and keeping up with the rules and regulations is an endless task. Just a few weeks later on June 30, the EU decided to open its borders to travelers from 14 countries … the list includes a number of countries, but the only one in North America to make it is Canada. The list is just a recommendation; it remains up to each individual EU country to decide whether to put it into practice. However, so far Sweden has followed the recommendations of the European Commission to a tee. Most European countries are now at least stable in their COVID-19 numbers while cases in the U.S. are surging. Remember, and especially if you belong to the risk group, stay cautious, keep your distance, don’t touch your face, wash your hands often and stay safe.
Summer and the great outdoors go hand-in-hand. It is a time when nature is awake and alive, flowers are finally in bloom (even in the north) and trees are full of leaves—make the most of it. Spend time outside, be with family and friends but continue to keep distance.
While watching the news or listening to experts speculate, even reading this passage, one might not be able to picture how things will ever become “normal.” The fact is you are not alone in wondering, everyone wants to see things return to a level of normalcy. We all hold the places we come from and the special people of our past and present in warm regard. We’ve seen the potential for new structures in our schools and workplaces, and the opportunity for growth and change. 2020 has been challenging, but from this pressure we can evolve and better our lives and our environment. We can and we will.
How ever far away, be open to the future and do what you can now to keep yourself engaged in our community. Since our beginning 148 years ago, Nordstjernan has been a way of staying connected, and every reader—with your involvement—strengthens that.
After this issue we enter a month of planning and preparing for a busy fall and winter, and we wish everyone a continued nice, safe and healthy summer!
Ulf
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The Editor & Publisher
Inte som andra bloggar.... this entry will be sometimes in Swedish, sometimes 'på svenska' - Just så händelsrikt är livet som utgivare av Amerikas äldsta och numera enda Svenska tidskrift.
Här ovan poserar jag “on location” kl 6 på morgonen i Minneapolis St. Paul för två år sedan. Henrik Olund tog bilden som förberedelse för en porträttbild av Vice President Walter Mondale. (Det var en bra intervju med en bra person) Jag skriver sällan med byline i Nordstjernan men jag är alltid ansvarig för innehållet, även om jag inte alltid håller med om allt.
(PS. Intervjun med Mondale hittar ni på nordicreach.com DS.) |