Following Elon Musk’s takover of Twitter, I decided to finally leave that platform. I’ll be writing about my history and complicated feelings about Twitter in the future, but for now I’m archiving some important posts and threads that mean a lot to me and which I want to preserve. I’m starting with the 100 days posting photos and memories of my grandfather, after he passed away from COVID in October 2021.
I desperately longed for some type of collective memory and grieving, not just for him but for all the millions lost to the virus. And there was nothing. In Croatia and in America, we collectively shrugged and chose to look the other way and take off the masks.
I posted photos and memories of my grandfather for 100 days after he died. It was therapeutic, but what really helped was support and mutual care from the many people who responded. This was important to me. It helped me keep going. I wouldn’t have had that without Twitter. What follows is the verbatim copy of those posts.
In memory of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021) I’ll be posting one photo of him every day. He not only led an amazingly unique life, but he also left a ton of wonderful photos. I’ll start with a fairly recent photo of him filming the Degenija flower on Velebit in 2012
Day two of memories of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). This one is from his art school days at Škola primjenjene umjetnosti. Hanging out on the dorm roof in 1955. My grandpa is on the right, standing.
Day 3 celebrating the life of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Taken in front of Stazione Centrale in Milan. He was there in 1954 attending X Triennale di Milano. The note on the back says the woman is Viviana Bernardi, but I’m not sure who she is (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Tri…)
Day 4 of memories of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Switching gears a bit now and taking us back to 2012. Reading the newspaper in Ashland, Oregon.
Day 5 of memories of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Location and year unknown, but it’s likely close to Kutina and taken in the late 60s. Slide photo.
Day 6 of memories of my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). I don’t know where this photo was taken or when, but I assume it’s the late 50s or 60s. It’s also a somewhat rare photo of my grandpa at (what I assume) is the seaside. He never got fully comfortable with the sea.
Day 7 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Let’s go to the 80s — here he is at the Battery in NYC in 1986 with Marinko Čubrilo and Dubravko Šarić. He didn’t really like New York very much and described it as noisy and messy (still correct).
Day 8 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Continuing with the same US trip in 1986, here he’s boarding a streetcar in New Orleans. Unlike NYC he really liked that city.
Day 9 remembering my grandfather. We’re staying in the US but fast forwarding 25 years to 2012. My grandpa probably ate fewer than 5 hamburgers in his life, and this is one of those times. Somewhere in Northern California, I think. He was a good sport about it.
Day 10 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). This is how I imagine him when I think about him — with his camera in the mountains. This is from a hike we did in 2007 on Velebit, on our way to Crnopac.
Day 11 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). This is from the “zu Gast bei” show on Hessen Drei TV channel in Frankfurt (now called hr-fernsehen). The note says 1980, but it might be from a few years later. Grandpa is right in the middle.
Day 12 remembering my grandfather. Here’s a photo of the two of us on a bridge over river Lika, near Kaluđerovac. Taken in June 1997.
Day 13 remembering my grandfather. A double feature today with two photos from a climb to the top of Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia. I was supposed to join him, but for some reason I didn’t make it on this trip. I hope to climb it for him one day.
Day 14 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). This is his class photo taken at his 8th grade graduation in 1946 (“Mala matura”). His schooling was interrupted during the Ustaše/German occupation of Kutina. Grandpa is in the top row, second from the left.
Day 15 remembering my grandfather. This is my grandpa’s wedding to my grandmother Slobodanka in 1962. Quite a formal affair! I love my grandma’s dress, and how my grandpa’s suit looks a bit awkward (later on he always had such a well-cut suit!). He’s basically my age in this one
Day 16 remembering my grandfather. 1969 in front of the Most slobode bridge in Zagreb. Presumably next to the former cable ferry that operated there before the bridge was opened in 1959?
Day 17 remembering my grandpa. 1995 at Croatian Television (HRT) main building. He managed the construction of its building complex while it was still called Televizija Zagreb. Like many journalists and workers he was forced into early retirement in 1991.
Day 18 remembering my grandpa. In 2016 he received a special award by the town of Popovača for his contributions. Since 2012, he produced yearly short films about the new developments in town and he gifted the films and the rights to the town for free. I love how happy he is.
Day 19 remembering my grandfather. January 1st 1980 in Nefta, Tunisia. My grandmother Slobodanka loved new year celebrations so they often traveled. Grandpa is in the back, grandma is next to him and my mom is in the red sweater.
Day 20 remembering my grandfather Josip Gobac (1932 – 2021). Spring 2012 with me in Portland OR, Mt. Hood is in the background.
Day 21 remembering my grandfather. Year unknown but likely it’s the mid to late 60s, on Hvar island. Likely new year’s celebration judging by the clothes. With my grandmother Slobodanka.
Day 22 remembering my grandpa. 2017 and 2007, taking the tram to Sljeme. For decades, he would hike up the mountain 3 times a week, until the pandemic started. After the quarantine he had a hard time getting back in shape, but by Sept this year he was back to once a week schedule
Day 23 remembering my grandfather. Fall 2019, just after I got my US citizenship. My goodness, he was so happy for me. A big part of why I wanted to get it was the ability to leave the US for longer periods of time, with the ability to return. But then the pandemic hit.
Day 24 remembering my grandfather. Likely late 60s at a Dinamo Zagreb game, taken by Zvonko Dogan (1921 – 1996), Dinamo’s club photographer and former player. Also a rare photo of my grandpa smoking. He quit decades ago and was militantly anti smoking by the time I was around.
Day 25 remembering my grandfather. Unsurprisingly, it’s yet another New Year’s Eve! December 31st 1964. A few days before my grandfather’s 33rd birthday. My grandma is younger than I am now.
Day 26 remembering my grandfather. 2012 in front of Multnomah Falls in Oregon.
Day 27 remembering my grandfather. 1994 with me in Žumberak.
Day 28 remembering my grandfather. 1993 in Velebit, on the 60th anniversary of the Premužićeva Trail, a 57 km long hiking trail along north and central Velebit. Taken by Vili Strašek (1914 – 1999), a passionate photographer of Velebit.
Day 29 remembering my grandfather. 1980, checking out the first news camera with “integrated sound recording” (his description on the back of photo) at TV Zagreb. I assume this records on VHS tape (looks like an empty case on the desk?). Grandpa is on the right wearing a suit.
Day 30th remembering my grandfather. One of the earliest and most memorable photos. My grandfather in 1932, at 7 months old ☺️.
Day 31 remembering my grandfather. At Dinamo FC stadium, 1977.
Day 32 remembering my grandfather. 2006 in Lonjsko polje.
Day 33 remembering my grandfather. 1984 at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, on Mount Bjelašnica.
Day 34 remembering my grandfather. 1994 and 2015 at Grafičar on Sljeme.
Day 35 remembering my grandfather. Walking around lake Bajer near Fužine in 2017.
Day 36 remembering my grandfather. Having coffee in Zagreb, September 2020.
Day 37 remembering my grandfather. Taken on his favorite hike to Grafičar on Sljeme, December 2010. It’s only fitting to share this one today after I just did the same hike in his memory.
Day 38 remembering my grandfather. Having a coffee with Mandy on Rab. Taking a break from his usual mountainside excursions, he took us to Rab island in the summer of 2017.
Day 39 remembering my grandfather. 1991 with me. What I love about this recording is that he’s trying out a new camcorder and testing out features. He’s holding a mic in his hand and announcing what he’s doing. It’s so sweet. ❤️
Day 40 remembering my grandfather. Dubrovnik in 1962.
Day 41 remembering my grandfather. In London in 1982 with Branko Puharić, former TVZ director and RTZ general director from 1982 – 1986.
Day 42 remembering my grandfather. At the Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina in Podgarić.
Day 43 remembering my grandad. 1984 with Ivica Cvitković.
Day 44 remembering my grandpa. This is on Velebit, sometime in the 80s. You can see by his outfit that he’s not an experienced hiker yet. He would later get to know every corner of that mountain, but it’s so inspiring to me that he was already over 50 when he first started hiking
Day 45 remembering my grandpa. Group photo with Tito. I have no idea who this group is and what the exact year is (likely early sixties?), but apparently grandad wasn’t too impressed 😂
Day 46 remembering my grandpa. 1985 at Lake Ohrid.
Day 47 remembering my grandfather. Somewhere on Velebit, April 2003. Resting 😊.
Day 48 remembering my grandfather. 1986 in New Orleans. He always said he enjoyed his time in that city, but I never saw any of these photos until after his passing.
Day 49 remembering my grandfather. At Amsterdam Schiphol airport in 2012.
It’s been 50 days that I’ve been sharing memories of my grandfather. I shared the first one on October 22, a week after he passed away. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be posting these, but for now, a photo from Krk in February 2015, and another one in the same spot 3 weeks ago
Day 51 remembering my grandfather. In Venice in 1954.
Day 52 remembering my grandfather. September 2020 in Zagreb.
Day 53 remembering my grandfather. This is from 1979 and it’s probably a work pic from TV Zagreb.
Day 54 remembering my grandfather. This was taken in October 2019 at our usual coffee spot.
Day 55 remembering my grandfather. A video still from 1993 or 1994, I think.
Day 56 remembering my grandfather. Žumberak, 1996.
Day 57 remembering my grandfather. Taking a break, July 31st 2021. Our last hike together.
Day 58 remembering my grandfather. He took this shadow selfie a few years ago, I found it on his laptop. I love how there is so much of him in this photo.
Day 59 remembering my grandfather. Giving a lecture at Komrčar park on Rab island in 2017.
Day 60 remembering my grandfather. With art school friends from ŠPU in front of Umjetnički paviljon in Zagreb, 1955.
Day 61 remembering my grandfather. In front of Crater Lake visitor center in Oregon. We tried to reach the top, but the road was closed due to snow. I never made it back there
Day 62 remembering my grandfather. In January 2011 at the airport, before my departure to Portland after winter break my freshman year of college.
Day 63 remembering my grandfather. Another shot from the time I left for the US for the first time. August 2010, pouring beer into my college branded nalgene 😂
Day 64 remembering my grandfather. My grandad had a “government birthday” in January 1932, but he always said that date was made up after WWII, because the Italians burned down the church in Lika with the birth records. Instead, he claimed he was born on Christmas Eve 1931, so today he would have been 90 years old
Day 65 remembering deda ♥️ Looking at cat videos with his granddaughter
Day 66 remembering my grandfather. Hiking on Sljeme, 2010.
Day 67 remembering my grandfather. Lonjsko polje, 2002.
Day 68 remembering my grandfather. With his mother and younger brother in Kutina, just before she passed away, 1964.
Day 69 remembering my grandfather. Screenshot from a video, summer 2017 I think.
70 days remembering my grandfather. Skype screenshot from 2016, showing me a loaf of bread?
Day 71 remembering my grandfather. Celebrating granddaughter @ver4pantera‘s birthday, 14 years ago
Day 72 remembering my grandpa. The last new year celebration before my grandmother Slobodanka passed away, January 1st 1989. She loved new year celebrations (see this thread for more), but this may be the last one he attended? I’m sad he won’t see this year, whatever it brings.
Day 73 remembering my grandfather. Mid to late 50s in Kutina.
Day 74 remembering my grandfather, September 2007. These were taken with a Canon 400D, my first DSLR which he got for me just before this hike. He always supported me in my photography efforts. Feels like I just took these, but it’s been almost 15 years.
Day 75. Another shot of grandpa in Venice in 1954.
Day 76 remembering grandpa. Work ID from the 70s.
Day 77. Today would have been my grandfather’s 90th (official) birthday. He didn’t celebrate birthdays, but when he was (politically) forced to retire in 1991 he said he started counting birthdays backwards. So in this photo from 2013 he would have been 37 by his own count ♥️
Day 78 remembering my grandfather.
Day 79 remembering my grandfather. This is Garić grad fort in Moslavačka gora, built in 1256, abandoned in 1544. The photo was taken in 2015.
Day 80 remembering grandpa. Opening a present 5 years ago.
Day 81 remembering my grandpa. The photo in the frame is from 6 years ago. I took this photo of it today, the light through the window was perfect.
Day 82. Here’s the full photo without the crop. He was such a jokester 😊 (he’s drinking Velebitsko beer on Velebit mountain)
Day 83 remembering. 1977 😁
Day 84 remembering my grandfather. 1957 during mandatory military service in the JNA in Pljevlja, Montenegro. Afterwards he attended reserve officers’ school in Karlovac and trained as a combat engineer.
Day 85. Zagreb public transit pass, issued in 1980. The photo is probably a bit older. My grandfather loved public transit, trains, buses and trams.
Day 86 remembering my grandfather. In Portland, 2012.
Day 87 remembering my grandfather. This may be at the BBC in London in 1977.
Day 88 remembering my grandfather. Having coffee together in 2017.
Day 89 remembering my grandfather (yesterday’s post came in late). Video call screenshot from September 2020. Showing me roses in the garden 🥰
Day 90 remembering my grandfather. I already posted this one in my eulogy, but let’s have it here as well. With my mom and grandma sometime in the mid 1960s (slide photo)
Day 91. Coffee after a hike in August 2017.
92 days remembering my grandfather and today I bring you this great one of him with the World Trade Center in the background.
Day 93 remembering my grandfather. Holding my mom in 1965 I think, slide photo.
Day 94 remembering my grandfather. In front of Trakošćan castle some time in the 1950s. It’s interesting how the castle tower has a cupola in this photo — it must have been removed some time soon afterwards because most photos of Trakošćan show the castle without it.
Day 95 remembering my grandfather. So this one is interesting, it’s labelled “Autoput ZG – LJ 1958.” so it’s from the Brotherhood and Unity Highway youth work action during which 58 000 volunteers built the highway between Zagreb and Ljubljana in 8 months! He may be on the left?
Day 96 remembering my grandfather. With Mandy in Voloder, 2015.
Day 97 remembering my grandfather. Cleaning a fish on Krk, 1994 probably?
Day 98 remembering my grandfather. With my mom in 1964
Remembering my grandfather day 99. Circa 1993.
100 days remembering my grandfather – with my sister 13? years ago
Day 101 remembering my grandfather. In Žumberak in 1994, photo taken by me (definitely one of my first shots)
Remembering my grandfather, day 102, 1958.
I’ve been remembering my grandfather here for over 100 days. I’m concluding this daily ritual for now to create some personal space for closure. I may continue posting photos of him here, just not every day. This is the last photo of us together, in July 2021.
Okay I know I said I won’t be doing daily pictures, but I came across this shot today and just have to share it. My grandpa with his trusted Lada, built like a tank and absolutely peculiar. No power steering but with power windows. The car I learned to drive on.
