11 Comments
Jan 8, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Happy New Year to all. Personally, if I could have canceled my subscription to 2021 after the 7-day free trial I would have, but alas... Honestly Amal, I just want peace, an end to all hatefulness, and compassionate governance. I’m sure any reader knows my country of origin...

Expand full comment
Jan 8, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Happy new year everyone. <3

I *hope* for sharing a kiss in 2021.

Expand full comment
Jan 8, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Hi Amal,

Sending hugs. Take as much time as you need to process and feel.

I guess for my I hope for financial freedom, but that's far off, and my resolution for this year is to save a modest sum of money.

And my intention is to hopefully make some friend's lives better or happy, if even for a brief moment.

Expand full comment
Jan 9, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Well, my wife and I both started new jobs, as faculty, at the same university, and we'll be running a lab together. Hopes, dreams and intentions? To be the best (kindest, most supportive, enabling of success and good research) professors we can be.

For the country my wife and I both grew up in? We're hoping for healing. For consequences. But to be able to go back and visit family.

Expand full comment
Jan 9, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Happy New Year Amal! This year, I hope for creativity, I dream of peace, and I intend to continue the good fight.

I also look forward to more of these posts and to finding out about all the exciting things you get up to in 2021 :) Wishing you and Stu your loved ones all the best!

Expand full comment
Jan 9, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

oh so many things. To finish writing the first draft of ALL THE WORDS. That is my hope. To be with friends both new and old -- IN PERSON, with HUGS. That is my dream. To sharpen my sword and fight for what needs fighting for in our damaged land -- if by swords one meant ballots and advocacy and donating to the right causes that can do the work that an aging professor cannot do. That, is my intent.

Expand full comment
Jan 9, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Hi Amal, happy new year, and thank you for the inspiring and encouraging words. I haven't had the energy to post much on social media these days, but I want to try engaging more with the wonderful people in our community. I forget that some of the energy that goes in, also gets returned. So this is me, sending a small bit of myself into the world, a very small contribution that I know will pay dividends in energy and positivity. I'm feeling it already : )

I hope for laugher and connections. I hope that I'll find the courage to take more chances, like the me of 2003, who decided it would be fun to buy a car from a stranger in the middle of Tokyo, and somehow find my way back to my small rural town over four hours away. I had only been in Japan for a few weeks and didn't speak much Japanese. I couldn't read it, had no gps or map, I had never driven on the other side of the road, but it was a blast. Laughter and courage, that's what I'll hope for this year.

Expand full comment
Jan 9, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

Happy new year, friends <3 This year I firmly intend to get sufficiently in sync with the passage of time to actually make it to these threads. My hopes are all wispy nebulous things that are summarisable as "may it all get better as far as the world lets it". We'll see how it goes, I suppose.

Expand full comment
Jan 10, 2021Liked by Amal El-Mohtar

I hope my democracy doesn’t collapse.

While I confess to daydreaming, I try NOT to dream too much because I struggle so much with feelings of failure and disappointment and regret. I try to deal with that by focusing on the present and finding the value in what’s already before me.

I intend to work hard and fast on a couple chosen projects; to support my family; to act as a bridge to peace among my different circles. I am in the position of being one of the few non-conservatives present in the lives of certain people; I feel that right now that role has taken on a greater urgency and intensity as the need to keep fellow citizens from sliding into isolation and extremism increases.

Expand full comment

Happy new year to everyone. I have several projects continuing from last year, some of which have been made very slow and some of which had deadlines set when the world was in a better place. Not least of which is campaigning for the Greens in the Holyrood election in May

What I hope is that I'll manage to get everything moving without causing myself too much harm from stretching a mind that has become stiff with stress and isolation.

What I dream is that all the things I'm doing will help to make Scotland a better or at least less bigoted place to live and what I'm doing whether it's political or creative will make a difference to someone.

What I intend is to slow my pace down, to find time for music, and reading books on paper, and friends, and cooking, and the things that make life worthwhile. That way I'll have more resources to devote to the work.

Expand full comment