I Leave and Heave a Sigh and Say Goodbye

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end”

– Semisonic

Well here it is folks. This is probably the last time you’ll ever have to read a piece from me and wonder if my voice really has the same high-pitched and annoying quality that my writing seems to give off. Not that you’ve heard from me as much as I initially expected you all to – it’s actually quite a bit of pressure to write and express your opinions so soundly and confidently, which is something I struggle with a lot. But I’m glad that despite this, the blog and editorial team was kept quite busy this year, with a considerable number of articles being published throughout, none of which would have been possible without the many people who encouraged us and helped by contributing their work to be posted on the blog.

I thought long and hard about what I would say in this final article, and to be honest I am not quite sure how I should end this, which I’m not too surprised about either. It’s only now as I struggle to put my thoughts down that I can empathize with Methmini’s own difficulties with writing her last article, and I am laughing at myself for the way I told her to just “write whatever you want”. I guess the joke is on me now, but I’ll try my best to keep it simple, because this year has just been one weird experience that I really have no way of putting into a cohesive chain of thoughts. 

How simple do I plan on keeping it? I’ll just thank all the important and kind souls who helped keep the blog alive for the past year. Rtr. Methmini for one, for not only giving me this opportunity but for always cheering us on from the very beginning. It was your enthusiasm and gentle nudging that pushed forward the initiation of the two blog series we did this year – for that and for being one of the many people who made this year bearable, I can never thank you enough. Also Rtr. Theruni for hyping up the blog posts, answering all my questions, complying with my silly requests and sending in her poems and articles for us to post on the blog – all hail HRH!

To our upcoming co-editors Rtr. Janidu and Rtr. Vibhath, I am so grateful for the support that you gave me in doing the big and little things I asked for help with, from proofreading and editing the articles that were sent your way to finding pictures, soundtracks, sorting schedules and all that jazz (and also you guys were some of the people who helped get my brain out of lockdown blues, so thank you for that). To Rtrs Shenara, Vidura, Dulari, Samadhi, Shayari and Yeshani, thank you for taking on your tasks enthusiastically and for being so passionate in contributing so much to the editorial this year, it means the world.

I also have to thank the various members of the club who in spite of not being on the editorial team were ever so willing to contribute to the blog with articles pertaining to club PR and the blog series. I am also incredibly grateful for the help Rtr. Chandu and Rtr. Supuni gave me by helping out with our flyers and proofreading respectively,  and I also apologize for bugging you so much with my requests.

Finally, to everyone who read, commented and shared the posts, thank you for being so responsive to the articles, you encouraged everyone who contributed their writing to the blog, and that means the world to us. 

On an entirely different note, here’s something random that you probably don’t care about and will now have no choice but to know – the entire time I was writing this, the melody of the farewell song that the Von Trapp children sing in The Sound of Music was swirling around in my head. I admit that it’s quite weird, but the lyrics do have interesting options for title ideas (“So long! Farewell! Auf Wierdersehen!”). However I settled on the lines “I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye” because I know that I will miss the sense of unity that I experienced and the fellowship that I gained throughout the last year, even though it was under such odd conditions. I also know that I will carry this experience close to my heart, even with the ups and downs of the world that held us back from experiencing the beauty of Rotaract to the fullest.

I strongly believe that the upcoming year is going to be an exciting one for the blog and for the club overall. I know that Janidu and Vibhath will definitely take it far beyond what it has been the past year, and I can assure you that there are many exciting things to come, so do keep yours eyes on this space. I wish the two of you, Rtr. Anudi, Rtr. Dulari and the rest of their talented board the best of luck for the upcoming Rotaract cycle.

Until you hear from me again (because who knows, I might make a sneaky comeback next year), stay safe, stay home and if you’re not home, wear your masks and sanitize! I wish everyone the best of luck in all their future endeavors!

Adieu my friends!

– Rtr. Afrah Bahaudeen