The Power Of Connection

By Abby Boyle I often hear adults speak about how in this high pace advancing world today, we are more connected with different cultures around the world than ever before. Sometimes I hear people say that we should all just speak one universal language to create a better connected world. But then I think, why destroy beautifully crafted languages around the world and force people to give up up their culture and part of what makes them who they are. Let us keep our uniqueness and find ways to connect by working with all languages. And to learn how to created this beautifully diverse world with people all over the place. And I had never really thought about the power of that possibility until this summer. I worked as camp counselors at the YMCA in Branford. I started working because I always liked working with kids and have been volunteering at summer camps since I was 12. I always worked with the average American kid who was from this area of the world (and I mean this very specific area of the world like Branford and Guilford).  And yes off course I found all of my kids unique in their own special ways, because if you ever worked with children you will know that they are fully capable of having the biggest personalities and  differences that they find truly unique. But half way through the summer we got a new camper and her name was Mahuat, who didn’t speak any English. She was from France. And off course at first all the counselors were confused on what to do. But that didn’t stop any of us from trying to connect her and anyway we could. So naturally as teenagers and young adults we turned to the internet, and used Google translate to connect with her, and try to make her feel welcomed in this strange place. And as the days and weeks went by, all the counselors found out that we were nervous for no reason. Because we all found out that we all needed was this small device to connect with her. Her and I became extremely close. I was her counselor for part of the time and I really tried to make her feel welcomed at this camp. Because I tried to understand how frightening it had to be to come to this new country where you know no one and can not speak to anyone. And I did anything a counselor would do, to let her be herself and accept her differences and make connections not just with the counselors but with her other campers. And the point of this all was, I was overthinking it all. All I had to do was treat her like a normal kid, because she was. I tried to learn new things about her, tried to see what she liked at camp, what she didn’t, what her favorite songs are, what her favorite movies are, and allow her to express herself. Like I did a with all the other campers. And by doing this I saw her break out of her shell and just have fun. And by her just being her, we forgot about the language barrier. I was using Google translate less and less with her everyday. She and I and the other campers even formed a new way to connect. It was a connection that went past the language. It came from dancing to a song we all knew, to participating in a sports game, to swimming with the other campers, to making friendship bracelets, and to just being ourselves. I saw how instinctively the other campers just knew what to do, they just wanted to be her friend, and they did. And that’s all we needed to do, by the end of the summer there wasn’t a language barrier, because we had this connection that went past the language. And she departed from her fellow campers and counselors the same way my other campers did – heartbroken, because their summer was over and we all had to say goodbye. I realized through this all that connection does not need to walk hand and hand with language. That the human species evolves to their environment, they adapt to make things work. It’s in our nature. That’s how we made these languages in the first place. It also taught me that we can work with everyone’s differences. And that’s what we always should do. No matter if its a language barrier, or a learning disability, or if someone has different viewpoints then you, instead of shaming or being scared or intimidated by them, work with them. Because humans need connection and need to form bonds with people. And we are all different in our own ways, and that’s what makes us so special. So next time you find yourself working with someone different than you, just think how awesome that is that we have these unique and amazing differences in this world.