Zero 7
When I'm weak I draw strength from you.
I'm writing in Sofia Airport Bulgaria,
first time alone (but not lonely) with the first coffee of the day and my constant travelling companion -
my favourite DJ Gilles Peterson playing my favourite jazz/dance/stretch music into my ears and soul.
I am tired.
I am exhilarated.
I am fulfilled.
I have been left alone by a giant.
A giant!
A big man.
A physically large man.
A great man.
Carlos, from Togo; now Geneva based.
He is working out of the YMCA World Office as Youth Worker and portfolio including Finance Officer, Africa, Latin America and thrown in - Europe including Russia!! And the exhilaration? It is being with Carlos, together with other International Trainers.
We have been in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, with 70/80 people at the first ever YMCA Balkan Training Conference. With young people in majority, this community have just tasted life together. Life sparkling with the cultures from Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Greece.
Exhilarated I am.
As with YMCA events - it was indeed full with body, mind and spirit activities. Training was in YMCA things including essential skills, awareness, personal development and spiritual stretch exercises.
I'm shattered - not from the absence of sleep, which is reality, but the emotional and personal stretch I have experienced as I learned as I have led.
Oyvin Sonnesyn
................ and me were charged with leading a 7 1/2 hour training, experience for 19 young adults on the subject of 'Team Work'!
Oyvin is the International man, and Deputy National Secretary from Norway, and the YMCA European Alliance (EAY) Musical Director/Trainer.
He gives 15% of his time to the EAY, a fantastic model of co-operation.
Very different than me, he is a guitarist and sings - amongst his many talents.
We worked experientially.
We tapped the youthfulness, energy, experience and depth of emotion of people present.
Then the bus crashed!!
(a role play)
There was a bus queue of individual people all going about their daily lives when, suddenly, they were confronted by a serious accident with a bus load of people. From 'standing in line', these individuals, immediately leapt into action to help.
Immediately becoming a team to handle this task before them.
Yes, it was a role play.
My eyes leak as I recall.
It was an incredible human response.
These multi-national young lives did beautiful things including the reflection following the 'accident'.
We touched the New York terror, personal experience of 'crashes' and deep emotions.
One young woman, Emilia, from Romania, who works with sexually abused young girls, made some fantastic observations of herself.
She was shocked to realise she had first gone to help a 'Romanians' in this bus crash.
'Xenophobia' was her term!
This was one of the many games played.
Spiritual stuff.
Skills.
Personal Awareness.
Feelings.
Communication.
And we had tears as we grew in community.
A community of acceptance and value of each other.
As I was driven away from the final session I wrote these words.
* Massive
* Flood
* Overwhelm
* Tears
* Walk of love
* Big
* Impossible to think.
I will work it all through from emotions to strategic thought but now - I think of the theme song as the plane arrives for me.
Zero 7 sing this line - the theme song from our time together:-
" When I'm weak
I draw strength from you"
The song in question is playing on my piPod right now ........... ...
Pip Wilson
3rd October 2001
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