Lunch.
I was sitting in the middle, and right in the midst of a great conversation, she declared :
«I want to do something that can turn people’s life around, something impactful.»
She said it with all the courage you can muster when you’re almost twenty, she who I remember, was planning on graduating in Law.
Around me the silence, short, maybe just a few seconds. But what were we all thinking, during those seconds ? Was there a sense of pride from the young girl parents ? A hint of surprise from the family friends ? Or, like me, a bittersweet swell of nostalgia ?
Who has never ever wanted to change the world for once at least ? «Everybody wants to rule the world» sang Tears For Fears in 1985. I also, wanted a better world after all, where the ideals could live up to my expectations. (Yeah I was 16 alright).
But what does it mean «better»? It’s so vague, and as time goes on, you realize that “if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed” (I didn’t say it, the Admiral McRaven did…)
«I want to do something that can turn people life around, something impactful.»
I don’t exactly remember if anyone had an answer to that, even if someone did, I couldn’t pay attention. Looking back, I think I could have said something. But as usual, the things you want to say always come too late.
If my mind had worked a little bit faster, I would have said something truly personal, something meaningful, something like :
«You know, if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed»
(no I’m kidding…) ok let me try again XD
«You know, I used to have the same desire to do good, to help change people’s lives for the better. But over time, even if that will remains, you might find some other ways to do it.
See I consider myself lucky because, I’ve spent a few years working with my mom, and I got to know her in a professional setting. She’s a hairdresser working in a small hair salon. Small yet so human.
I remember one day, with Mrs R…, a long-time client who was about to become a grandmother again. Well my mother, in her spare time, had knitted a lovely wool bonnet for the baby.
It was during their goodbyes that she gave it to her. I remember the astonishment from Mrs R…, the simple joy of receiving a thoughtful gift, something she would pass on to her daughter and son-in-law, for their newborn.
I was witnessing such a bliss of a friendship and human warmth.
Relationships like this, she had built dozens of them, over decades.
A few minutes later, as our workday continued, Mrs R… came back, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She handed it to us, bringing a little bit of sunshine with her all over again.
It was incredible and didn’t look much at the same time, but considering my own generation, often caught between depression and anxiety, and there’s Animal Crossing* who’d become some kind of an emotional shelter for people who were looking for that human connection… well it was right there, just in front of me, on a daily basis. I was in another world, a real-life Animal Crossing world…
And I want to believe that changing people’s lives, isn’t just about big gestures with big consequences. Sometimes, it’s just about being there for someone, like a little ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.
Well, of course I truly hope you reach the heights of your ambitions. I’m convinced we need ambition in our lives. I just wanted to share what life has taught me, which is that doing your best to bring joy to the people you see everyday is already something great, and sometimes impactful.»
Ah, parents… such a long story. Lasting memories, moments of sadness, love, laughter, adventures, tears, and all these lessons that shaped us into who we are today…
…
Big topic.
