Are We Aware of the Transition?
February at Eirene Cafe
All in all, your life seems like a good, normal life — whatever that means — on the outside. However, as you turn your perspective to your inner landscape, you realize that essential aspects of your habitat are being deserted. It becomes crystal clear that between having a normal life on the outside and feeling that the crucial pieces of that life are falling and complementing smoothly in the context, there is a tricky leap, a canyon-like gap. More often than not, there is a sequence of them. Like in those 2D video games from the eighties, where the superhero is just frantically running, jumping, and trying to arrive at the finish line safe and sound without falling into those deep ravines that lead to the dark underground worlds where hostile predators are waiting to attack him.
From what I've seen and lived in my personal experience and those of other fellow women I know, this comparison is on point. We are that superhero running, jumping, and... sometimes falling into the deep and dark places where we get stuck. In the video game, it's usually not a game over. The superhero continues to look for a way out, spending some superpowers and a couple of lives as he climbs out into the light.
In the past month, I lived with this video game visualization. I came up with three words that seemed appropriate to define the emotional state of the fallen superhero: transition, discomfort, and patience. When asked, you felt this falling into the gap as a transition.
So, February will revolve around a very broad yet intriguing theme: transition. Transition as movement but also stillness after movement, in time and space. Transition as an emotional tide, rising, lasting, and falling. It can be desired or feared, indicating progress or devolution.
Like any dynamic entity, Eirene Cafe is not immune to transitions. Eight months ago, when I first launched the initiative, the idea of using words like loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety, and helplessness was intimidating. Now, I feel that clearly defining its real purpose is liberating, allowing me to act accordingly. I always knew that the essence of Eirene Cafe lies not in the event itself, but in the sturdy vessel a coming together can be when confronting difficult emotional and mental states.
What we long for is not just an event. We crave a space, a delimited portion of the ether, a refuge where we can not only express ourselves but, more importantly, rediscover and cultivate with grace, presence, and patience the sense of enchantment. We long for the unsettling joy of being there for others, the excitement of meeting kindred souls and tuning into a certain vibe, and the restorative power of art, nature, and creation as an act for balance.
While we may not have a regularly accessible physical space for this purpose, our recently launched virtual cafe has the potential to become an enveloping refuge when you need it.
I don't have a magical wand or a solution to such a deep social problem. After decades of relying on pharmaceutical solutions for the symptoms, it's time to address the root cause. We've reached a point in our collective alienation where nature and social interaction are now prescribed.
To make an even greater effort, I'm opening regular points for replenishment—extra lives and powers through frequent, accessible, free, and purposeful online gatherings.
With love,
Natasha Nedelkovska, Founder and Creative Director