Words from a Sloth
Written by Calvin Coolidge
(Europeia - July 12, 2018) - As the Ovation festivities begin, the EBC caught up with the man of the hour, Sopo, to hear his thoughts on the region, the award, and what's next.
Calvin Coolidge: When you first saw that you had received your Ovation, what was your reaction?
Sopo: I was very thankful to HEM and proud to be a Europeian. It meant a lot to me.
Calvin Coolidge: You've had a long career here in Europeia, what do you hope people take away from your journey so far?
Sopo: I hope people take solace in the fact that no matter how many times you screw up, you can redeem yourself. I've had my fair share of successes and failures. I think that's a pretty common experience. You don't have to be perfect to be a valuable part of the community.
Calvin Coolidge: How has the community impacted you in your time here?
Sopo: Europeia has been a big part of my life. When I didn't have many friends or lived far away from them, Europeia was there. I've met so many different types of people in Euro from all over the world of all different backgrounds. Those experiences broadened my horizons and made me a better, more understanding person. Europeia has been a creative outlet, a place to develop skills, and a challenging political game. It's so different now from when I first started, but at it's core it's still a friendly community and the best region in NS.
Calvin Coolidge: What moment/accomplishment of yours would you say you are the most proud of during your time in Europeia?
Sopo: That's hard to say. My recent Vice Presidential term and the work I did there was a real highlight. The 9 person Senate, EuroPride, Citizen Spotlights... I enjoyed the freedom of being able to experiment and work on new projects. Overall, my biggest contributions have probably been to Radio and Culture, which I consider my "home" ministries.
Calvin Coolidge: What failure of yours would you say you've learned the most from (and what did you learn)?
Sopo: Maybe not tied to a particular failure but having to resign or doing a bad job in multiple roles really made me think about my motivations for accepting/seeking positions. I think now I'm much better at saying no when I'm not in a position to succeed. Just knowing my own limits has been very important to doing well. I'm definitely not someone who can serve 8 terms as minister back to back without a break
Calvin Coolidge: What, if anything, are you still hoping to accomplish in Europeia?
Sopo: Aside from Lethen naming me Lord High Chancellor, I think I'm content to go where I'm needed and stay low-profile. I'm adjusting to my new admin role, and I'm still active in multiple ministries as a deputy or JM. I sometimes feel the pull to run for president and serve a memorably good term, but I have no concrete plans currently and don't see myself seeking elected office in the near future.
Calvin Coolidge: Lastly, what do you hope the admins name after you?
Sopo: The Leave of Absence forum.
