From Mytilene, Lesvos

After we swam to the rock we made the 90 kilometer journey back to Lesvos by way of one of those hot springs thermal spas. They say you get healed with the water. One of us got our locker broken into - so it is harder to feel the healing when you know you were robbed. All three of us try the idea that we list what we still have (health, limbs, passport, family, friends) we still don’t like it, but try to put into perspective.

I met up with professor Costas Canakis. He invited students to come to an informal presentation. The group was smaller than the Athens group, however I got an interesting story from a Greek man. I may not get to finish this but will start. He asked if he could talk with me after class. I said of course.

Here is my best recollection- 

I grew up in a smaller Greek village and was taught it was a sin to be gay, etc. when I saw the American movie, “Boys Don’t Cry” with Hillary Swank, I realized that my attitudes were similar to the bullies in that movie. Now after over 5 years as a student in Mytilene where I got my bachelors degree and soon to finish my masters degree, I can see how much I have changed. My girlfriend has pointed it out to me and she is right.

When I get ready to leave school after graduation, my closest friends that I want to have one last beer with happen to be gay. These are the new friends I’ve made. One of my teachers is gay and I like him very much as a teacher.

Are you interested in a story like this?

I said yes! He chose to attend my class for one reason- to hear about a view of religion that does not make people who happen to be LGBT or Q sinners going to hell. 

I no longer believe this part of my parents religion - but I do wonder if I had to give up religion all together because of my new friends.

After the presentation with students, Costas had class. Then Jodi, Lynn and I had a late dinner with Costas. He is Greek and had a Fullbright Scholarship to University of Chicago to get his doctorate in linguistics.

He is only 50 but extremely accomplished academically. And yet, not stuffy at all. Happy to talk with us. He confirmed that in Greece it is not unlikely for people to be making 50% or less than they were making before the economic crash. And he shared some info with us about Lesvos’s refugee population.