By Louise P.
“We are different, we do different.” You got that right. As an intern with Huayruro, I have been welcomed into a world that does different, looks different, and above all, feels different.
It is hard to put into words the feeling of Huayruro, as it is deep and lives outside of my head. But this is telling. A common phrase at Huayruro is “let's do a round.” In my ten days, I have been encouraged to ask questions and explore them in depth. I don’t often take time to dig into something deeply fascinating without a concrete logical or productive reason to do so. However, I have found incredible meaning in doing things deeply. The past few weeks, instead of scratching the surface of many topics, I have been invited to focus on one question at a time. From this, I have learned that the deeper I dig into a single question, the more value I find in it and the more insight I gain about other topics, as the world is interconnected. Deep is a different way of doing; deep has value.
At Huayruro I have also seen how the beauty of Circle can be extended beyond Circle itself. Because the people of Huayruro are so invested in the Circle process, I have found that they bring it with them in some shape or form to other shared spaces. I have felt a balance of power in every zoom session I have attended, even when there is no Talking Piece. The result is that I, a teenage intern, have felt empowered. My ideas, thoughts and feelings have been valued just as much as anyone else’s, which has given me a newfound confidence that I will carry forward. The power of Circle is different; the power of Circle empowers.
Every day at Huayruro I was challenged in a way that invited me to stretch into new spaces. The loose schedule and amount of freedom I was given on some days forced me to trust my own instinct for how to spend my time and to tap into my rusty creative side. My creativity contributed to breakthroughs and brought me joy. Additionally, every time I posed or answered a question, I was faced with a choice: do I really speak my truth, or do I stay surface level? Although vulnerability is not a strong suit of mine, the rawness of others in Huayruro spaces encouraged me to open up in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise. Though challenging at times, this vulnerability enriched my experience. Huayruro challenges are different; Huayruro challenges are enriching.
I recommend that the entire world interns at Huayruro because, after my experience, I believe that we all need a little Huayruro in our lives. I wish everyone could feel the magic, the power, the depth, the warmth and the truth that I have felt over the past few weeks. Huayruro is different, and for that I am grateful.
Comentários