Small world or Expanding world?
When I think back to 1982 when I was twenty, Gotland seemed to be a very remote and dull place in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Even if I thought the nature was ever so beautiful I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that ”everything happened somewhere else”. Gotland was not the center of the action. Being young I could even feel a bit ashamed of my connection with this boring island.
Then I moved to the swedish mainland and it wasn’t long until I realised that people I met were very impressed by Gotland and my shame converted to pride. I lived twenty years on the swedish mainland but I visited Gotland at least twice a year, often more. In the autumn 2000 I moved to Gotland with my family, Roine and Alice.
Now it was Alice turn to be young on Gotland. When I compare with my young years on Gotland it is obvious that information technology – computers, internet and television have changed the ”growing up-conditions” to the better. The distance between Gotland and the mainland has shrunk – actually the distance between Gotland and the rest of the world has shrunk as well. And it’s easier to travel to Gotland by ferry or plane. Now it’s more up to yourself if you want to keep in touch with friends all over the world, if you want to share a common interest globally or if you want to buy the newest, coolest stuff it is probably accessible on the internet and might even be delivered to your own house on the gotlandish countryside.
At the same time Gotland is getting more popular for tourists, Bergman-lovers, car-lovers, politicians, moviemakers and other creative people. Sometimes it feels like ”everyone” is coming to Gotland and some of the VIPs even buy their own property here. Gotland is no longer a remote island, Gotland is becoming more of an active and attractive center of the Baltic Sea.
That is why I feel like I am living in the middle of the world and now when my daughter is ready to move to Stockholm she is proud of Gotland. I don’t know what will happen in her life, but I am pretty sure that she has ”moving back to Gotland” as one of her future options.
