GV Summit 2017: That Fine Line Between Friendship and Companionship

 

Photo by Jer Clarke. Author (center) with French Lingua Editor, Gwenaelle Lefeuvre (left) and Italian Lingua Editor, Marisa Petricca (right).

I don’t get anxious or disappointed in any way since I quit expecting anything. I get excited sometimes and curious most of the time.

But when my name appeared in the list of 2017 Colombo Summiteers, I felt intimidated in a way. I never belonged to GV in that sense. Yes, I love GV, I admire the work GVers do, and I am grateful to be a part of it, but here’s the thing: I never belong. I love not knowing. I love being nobody and everything. I’m always eager to know and here to be, to just be, and I hate labels, tags, titles, and definitions. I see them as limitations and identity well-wrapped boxes. So I wasn't sure if I was going to fit in.

The first day of the internal meetings was enough to erase all those thoughts, assuring me I was where I wanted to be, doing exactly what I wanted to do.

The second day I began to experience something that was all new to me; companionship. To share same hopes and good intentions with someone and to figure out a way to realize it. I witnessed the intangible authenticity becoming tangible tools and applicable strategies.

The third day I magically woke up to find myself surrounded by friends who could deeply listen and unconditionally understand. Everything got unexpectedly emotional and unbearably beautiful.

Then I spent the rest of summit days euphorically lingering that fine line between companionship and friendship, switching between doing and being, doing something that matters about something that matters together, and simply just being together, having coffee or lunch, walking on the beach, chatting on the bus.

After the summit, I went for a solo tour by myself. I was recalling every little chat I had with each one of you, every thought, every suggestion, every joke, every beautiful story, taking all of them in to stay there forever.

So thank you to each one of you for being you, and sorry for any blank moment that might cut off our conversation. I was all ears. It’s just that I was truly overwhelmed too throughout the summit days and even after.

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