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(I Googled : ‘odd couple’ and got this. It is not relevant but brought me joy)
Some of my friends in Roehampton run an amazing charity called Regenerate working with kids in Gangs and street culture.
I have been privileged enough to join them in trips away to Kenya and Zambia, giving these young guys a chance to get out of their context and do some great work in schools and orphanages. It is a completely life changing experience.
The volunteers that help regenerate do their work are fantastic at mentoring these young people and have built amazing relationships.
I remember looking once though and thinking “why on earth does this cool gang kid bother talking to this white haired, out of touch, boring old person.” (I just thought it I didn’t say it :-))
It bothered me for a while but then I realised….It is simple, this is one of the only people in his life that have continually bothered to turn up despite how he acts towards them.
When I realised this I felt empowered as the Volunteer in question was not accepted on any grounds other than continuing to communicate with his mere presence. ANYONE can do the same.
In a busy Mobile world full of Facebook events, invasive notifications and constant better offers, just turning up speaks louder than anything else.
Our time and presence is the one commodity we cannot fake, replicate, digitise or blag.
No matter what your Love Language of preference is, I think that as the world gets busier and busier quality time is harder to find and therefore increasing in everyone’s priority list.
Excuses, SMS, FB Messages and emails are cheap.
Turning up is expensive and VALUABLE