TXT: I think I have, for the first time in a long time, managed to vacation in Europe without returning possessed, evil, or with
<Kazuo eyes the phone. Somewhere. Suspiciously.> TXT: Are you still in Europe?
<The answer is prompt.> TXT: Only in my head. Jetlag sucks.
TXT: Thank you for relieving my concerns about whether you had just tempted fate.
TXT: I'm not that crazy. I've some new drawings of some things Endy might be interested in visiting, and if we want to do that race up a mountain stupid, I feel like I'm solidly in practice.
TXT: You say stupid. I say preparation for the inevitable. Perhaps we are both right.
TXT: I haven't had to run from something (or towards something) in a really long time. My running is pure recreation these days. A far cry from a few years back, that's for sure.
TXT: What's the phrasing? Past performance does not guarantee future results. Still. It's a good break.
TXT: True. I'm getting complacent, which is less than ideal.
<Somewhere, Kazuo smirks faintly at his phone.> TXT: Not too complacent. You still run.
TXT: Sanity requires them (or cycling. Swimming's not the same somehow). Past me has no clue how that happened.
<And somewhere, there may be a momentary glance ceilingward.> TXT: Endorphins, presumably.
<His answer:> TXT Endorphins and silence. Good views don't hurt either.
TXT: Silence is far more rare and sometimes seems at least as addictive.
TXT Rarer for you than me. I get it in the studio too, as I'm usually there when Mom's at work. I'm looking forward to graduating.
TXT: I could not imagine otherwise. Have you made any decisions for afterward?
TXT: I'm not applying anywhere, I'm not taking entrance exams. I suppose that's a decision in and of itself. Even if it feels sort of like failure, even if it's a choice.
TXT: If you are going somewhere, it is not a failure. Are you?
TXT Now that I'm home, I'll count up the gallery and show rejection letters as somewhere.
TXT: Good.
<After a moment, there is an addition.> TXT: Rejection letters are somewhere.
TXT They aren't the happiest of somewhere, but they are somewhere.
<It is increasingly a pity that text messages do not convey faint hints of expression.> TXT: The early runs weren't particularly happy either.
TXT: A fair and valid point. I'm not sure rejection ever gets easy, but likely easier. Once I settle back into this timezone, I'll look into a private show
<They don't convey nods either, but it can still be imagined.> TXT: Good. These things build on themselves.
TXT It comes with internal political ramifications.. probably akin to those of an author who self publishes.
TXT: Possibly. But the latter is no longer such a stigma.
TXT Here's hoping that's changed in the art world too. At least I'm old enough to sign my own contracts.
TXT: Excellent. Not having to defend every decision to a non-expert makes life much easier.