In the Bleak Midwinter

Something is better than nothing

Last week, I wrote that I hoped to publish a follow-up piece to “We Are (Not) Afraid” by the end of the week. But the end of that week came and went. And now somehow it’s Thursday evening and this week is also nearly gone, and I’m out of time to finish said follow-up piece, since I’ll be traveling this weekend, and I still have to study tonight for my final Italian exam, plus pack before I catch the train tomorrow morning. So the piece will have to wait a bit longer.

In the meantime, I know there’s been a lot going on in the world. (Trust me, I know.) So I thought I’d just share one of my photos with you. I feel like this captures the dull and dreary feeling of late January here in Milan. It feels sad. It also feels somewhat absurd.¹

Tonight, what caught my attention is the way the woman just keeps walking, staring straight ahead, dragging her friend along. It wouldn’t surprise me if she were grimacing. But she’s paying no mind to the clown show; she’s just focusing on where she’s going. Sometimes that’s about the only thing we can do.

Keep going!
Michael

1. Milan really does have a clown festival, just a couple blocks from our apartment. Sometimes they practice in a nearby piazza on Friday evenings. It’s kind of captivating…and also kind of creepy.