It’s been a busy couple of months.
I’ve been moving, which is never fun for anyone, and also requires re-establishing a medical support network. Luckily, a social support network has sprung into being without a lot of effort on my behalf, and for that I’m grateful to the wonderful people in the dog community and my old friends and their families.
We’ve also been inching towards the official launch of Science Borealis – which is actually happening tomorrow! I can’t believe we’ve gone from a few comments on a blog post to a fully-functioning science blog aggregator in just a year, but I think it’s testament to Margaret Mead’s oft-quoted statement:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
I’m excited that our group has come this far, and want to congratulate all of us on a great achievement.
At the same time, our iPolitics series on Canadian science and science policy has come to a close. The final two articles out of a total of 12 were published this week, just in time for the Canadian Science Policy Conference which is currently underway in Toronto. Thanks to all the authors for their thought-provoking contributions.
And let’s not forget the never-ending saga of environmental (mis)management and protection in Canada, combined with the failure of Canadian politicians to actually do anything about it (see my previous posts).
Earlier this week I had to compile an update on my personal health progress, and it was the first time in a while that I’ve had an opportunity to take a moment to really think about things. How am I doing? How are things going? What’s working – and what isn’t?
While I’m really happy with the iPolitics and Science Borealis projects, and moving was really the best thing we could have done at this point, I realize now it’s all been a bit too much. A distressing lack of stability from the move has been compounded by meetings, emails, coordinating, and more.
My baseline anxiety levels have gone through the roof, and my usual coping strategies have been less than effective. I’ve had too many days where I’m almost completely non-functional – not what I was aiming for at this stage of recovery. My ability to manage being in public has hardly improved, and the smallest tasks completely exhaust me.
More importantly, I’ve fallen behind in my writing – real writing, not just editing someone else’s work or writing the occasional blog post, editorial guide, or email. Writing that keeps me (sort of) sane, helps me work through personal issues, and keeps me focused on my goal of getting better every day.
All of this was a partial contributor to my crash in the first place, so I think it’s well past time for me to take a step back.
I’ll still be the Editorial Manager from Science Borealis, but I think it’s at the point where it can largely run itself, with a bit of guidance to ensure things are on track. I don’t have any article series in the works. My move is over (hurrah!) – so I can focus on rebuilding my medical support team. Mostly, I plan to have a quiet December making the most of our new home and enjoying time with my family.
Thanks to everyone – my family, friends, blog readers and Tweeps – for your support in the past while. It’s meant a lot to me to have that network of understanding people. I may be quieter in the next month or so, but I won’t be gone. 🙂
