Monday, May 25, 2020

"When I'm weak, I draw strength from you." in Bulgaria





Zero 7

"When I'm weak, I draw strength from you."

Yesterday my favourite DJ 
on my favourite Radio Station ‘worldwideFM'
played my favourite Zero7 track.

I said I would blog an experience linked to the track.
BUT then I searched my www.pipwilson.com and 
found the original reflection ………….

I add a few words to explain things better::

*

I'm writing this in Sofia Airport, Bulgaria, 
first time alone 
(but not lonely) 
with the first coffee of the day plus my 
constant travelling companion - 
my favourite DJ Gilles Peterson 
playing my favourite jazz/dance/stretch music 
into my ears and through to my 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 Madjri Sanvee 
from Togo, Africa

He was then working out of the YMCA World Office in Geneva  
with a portfolio including 
Youth Worker, Finance Officer, Africa, Latin America and 
thrown in - Europe & Russia!! 

(NOW he is the YMCA World General Secretary = CEO.)

And here I am in 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 
and loved as I learned as I have led.

Norwegian Oyvin Sonnesyn 
................ and myself were charged with leading a 
7 1/2 hour training experience for 19 young adults 
on the subject of 'Team Work’! 

Oyvin was then an 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 guy 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)
I divided the whole group into two groups.
One was lined up in an imaginary bus queue.
This bus queue of a mix of individual people
from different nations = strangers.
(The group dynamics theory is that a ‘group' 
does not exist as a group until they have a purpose in common.)

The other half of the participants bunched themselves together,
shuffling around the room as if they were all seated on a bus.
As they approached the bus queue they were in an accident! =
throwing themselves on the floor with ‘multiple injuries’.

All in the queue going about their daily lives when, 
suddenly, they were confronted by this serious accident 
with this bus load of ’strangers'. 
From 'standing in line', these individuals, 
immediately leapt into action to help.
Immediately becoming a team to handle this challenge before them.
All playing different roles. 
Helping the injured, stopping the traffic - 
phoning the emergency services.

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 on the New York 911 terror attack and 
personal experience of ‘accidents' 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 
the 'Romanians' in this bus crash.
'Xenophobia' was her term!

We had a great time reflecting on the role play.
Our emotions.
Individual behaviour.
How the ‘queue’ became a team with common objective.
Electric Learning!!



This was one of the many exercises / games played. 
Spiritual stuff. 
Skills. 
Personal Awareness. 
Feelings. 
Communication. 
And we had tears as we grew in our unique community. 
A community of acceptance and value of each other.

As I was driven to the airport 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.
We had this song playing during certain moments  - 
one line repeatedly standing out::
" When I'm weak I draw strength from you"
'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 in my ears right now ........... 

If you go to yesterdays BLOG on my website:: 
(24th May 2020)
you can hear and view the video - so powerful.

I am living it all again as I communicate with you.



✅💲T🅰Y🅱eautiful