To build a life

Ukraine, Gävle, November 2017
In the centre of Gävle, the gateway city to the big North of Sweden the sun is only seen for a few hours per day in winter. It is lunch hour and I meet Adrian and David at a Thai buffet restaurant.

I ask them what they do for a living. Both take care of handicapped living on their own. Ethics and privacy prevent discussing individual cases. Theirs is a one to one job with a lot of responsibility. David explains: by law through the LSS every Swede has the right to receive this care when needed. Getting it however involves a lot of paperwork and one needs to find out the proper referring channels. Help is available but gaining access to it is a complicated adventure.

Build a business of your own

Both are very satisfied with their work as it provides steady income by providing something that adds good to the world. But as we all they have dreams as well as worries. With a job you never know, there is always a boss and there are constant changes. It is better to have your own faith in your own hands and pursue a passion.

David has his own private enterprise in IT: Time Path, a clever solution for access systems (as most IT only known to insiders). His plans are clear: find the right customers but first make a unique product.

Adrian is at a crossroads. His passion is gaming and he struggles to find a way to make this support his living. He already decided to quit his care job to dedicate it all his time. His Team Random is looking for a sponsor.

Gaming instead of FB

Adrian tells me that commercially gaming is apart from a near addiction for himself a channel to the minds of young people from 12 years onward. This new generation does not watch television anymore, FB and other social media are becoming obsolete. Even Instagram is mistrusted as pictures lie.

To own a team is a way to reach this age group. But it is hard to find the right sponsor so they look for an alternative. Actually they need a manager. I suggest there may be a third road: start a gaming school … He will think about it.

Philosophy

They tell me they were actually discussing philosophical questions when I joined them. In their opinion, their generation of 25 -30 is asking themselves the same philosophical questions throughout Europe. But the questions are different than the once previous generations were focussing on. There is a lot of awareness of the fragility of the earth and the meaning of life in a social context.

Nihilism and the existentialism of the 80-s and 90-s are passed. There is more: the connection with the other, with the world. Adrian has looked into Buddism and found some relief in meditation. David has recently fallen in love and experiences unexpected emotions, noticing he is even afraid of being so close to someone. Both agree the challenge of this time is to face the dragons and fears inside and understanding them in order to create your own direction in life. They realise they can grow by learning.

When we part David suggests Jordan Peterson, Adrian Eckhart Toll. My suggestion to them is Levinas.

The light is fading quickly as I walk over the bridge of Dalälven.