I had the opportunity to go to a GIN (Global Issues Network) conference last week, needless to say, it was an amazing experience. It was set in Rio, Brazil, subjectively, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The conference created a sense of awe, accompanied by hope and inspiration, something that doesn’t come by very often; the project-leading students didn’t only say that they were gonna change the world, they were already doing it. Regardless of the landscapes, the food, or the incredibly articulate speakers, the best part was definitely the people.
It’s always great meeting new people, especially in a place like a GIN conference as everyone has the same mindset yet different perspectives towards life. I formed many bonds with people from all over the continent, as a consequence, once I left, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of melancholy and grief. On the plane back, a word kept popping back into my head, sonder. I found it on “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” a few months ago, but didn’t give much attention to it at the time. It means: “The sudden realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.” The only difference between sonder and my situation is that I knew those people, they weren’t random passers by, rather, friends. They're people who i met, who I care about. They’ll live their lives parallel to mine, go on adventures, grow up, get married, have kids, and slowly grow old. They’ll forget the time we spent together and they’ll live as if it never happened. At the conference, I came to a conclusion about meeting new people: "Make someone laugh once and you had a nice conversation; make someone laugh twice and you’ll have a friend for life.” But I was wrong, it’s reasonable to think that we’ll never meet again, that our paths won’t cross once more, and if they do, who’s to say that we’ll even recognize each other. Now, I find myself typing slowly in my room, alone, thinking of what would happen, how their lives would change, how my life would change, if I just sent them a message saying “hi”.
1 Comment
Leonardo Jimenez
13/11/2015 02:18:46 pm
Cristobal, your topic "sonder" and how you connected this to your GIN conference was very interesting. Personally, I can really connect with you because I've also been to a GIN conference before and I've experienced this feeling of sonder you describe in various situations. Your structure was exceptional. You began by describing your experience at GIN and then linked this to your reflection smoothly. What you could have improved was delving deeper on the personal aspect of this topic. What does it mean to you and what do you plan on doing about it?
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