I am here again. For a long time, I stopped writing. The psychiatrist made a change in my medication. For weeks my mood has been crazy, but from several days until today, everything has improved. Then the children went on vacation. The work stopped for two weeks.
I don't know if I'm explaining why I haven't written here for such a time, or if I'm justifying myself, or what, so I am writing now.
Meaningful things have happened in these weeks. I presented an advance of my investigation at Georgetown University. If I have to be honest, it was not a well-done document. I could strongly criticize it. The important thing is that I have received many kind and intelligent comments that allow me to improve my research on cholera. As a result, I realized I must work hard for much longer than expected, and I'm very excited to do it.
It had been a long time since I was in a seminar where I felt supported. Frequently, I have attended workshops criticizing the presenter's work. For this reason, it is increasingly common for the lecturer to respond to each comment made to him. As if you should defend your work.
At the seminar I attended in Georgetown, things were different. Everyone was friendly and willing to offer me help, advice, and suggestions. I did not have to respond to comments. In most cases, I asked for more advice and said: "thank you." I think this was due, among other things, to being vulnerable in my exposition. I told the truth about myself as a person and historian.
I have learned an important lesson. If you're presenting at a seminar and want help to continue your work, be honest, admit up front that there's a lot you don't know, and say that you need help from the academic community around you. Everything will turn out better this way.