Two weeks ago, Vincent took me with his friends to a small but warm music festival. It was great, it was fun, but most of all, it was eye-opening. Sure, the sound system and the light effects were terrific, but I remember mostly the attendees. I met humble, joyful, lively and positive persons, and it was common for them to come little music festivals in this region’s countryside because they were all locals. It might have been one more festival for them, but not for me.
I thought of the Ana that started building her personality in Peru four years ago. Most of my interests where indie music, earthlings, and social engagement. As I grew up, a little bit, I tried to pull out a more “mature” version of that, less of a dreamer, more realistic, but still me. The reason why I usually enjoy going to solitary bar-cafés like Aion is that I can breathe a meaningful lifestyle, not as hollow as the rest of bars. It is the kind of environment where people try to celebrate life, in all of its dimensions.
Back to Port d’Enveau, I saw that kind of mindset that night. I could picture myself there years previously, had I been born in Poitou-Charentes. I asked myself that, and the answer was that I wouldn’t have different interests, I would have become the folks there. Thus, no matter whether of French or Peruvian nationality, the resulting Ana would share the same opinions as me.
Living in La Rochelle and going where not everybody is going has taught me that to enjoy life, one does not always need to travel far away to exotic places in order to live fantastic adventures. Exciting things might happen just around the corner, like this music festival at one-hour car ride from La Rochelle.
This festival also left me with this: youth is youth, no matter what country, no matter what mindset. I think that is what is powerful about it. Youth is not constrained by culture, as we all share the same concerns, the same dreams and sometimes the same taste. We all face the future with a single wish: to be happy, but we don’t know how. Say we all feel the angst for the future, the excitement of personal discoveries, the butterflies of love… When a boy in Manhattan falls in love, he feels the same as a girl in Teheran. When a Chinese boy is graduating from high school, deep inside he has no idea of what his life will look like in 10 years, and the same applies to an American boy. We might speak French here and my high school friends might speak Spanish, but recruiters treat us the same no matter where we are. Our nationality, our religion, our origin is just a small component of what we are. Opposite to adults, different teenagers from different countries cooperate more easily, because it’s easier for us to bond. Luckily, we haven’t been formatted yet.
Just as if I had just watched The Breakfast Club again, I am just amazed at how diverse and powerful youth is, and I wish I didn’t need to grow old yet.
On a train to Paris. August 5th, 2016 – 10:00 pm