The year was 1994.
The day was December 18th.
The bullets were five.
The blood was crimson.
The story is mine.
I have always been a talker. From the moment I muttered my first word and every day in between. But, on a cold winter’s night days after turning thirteen, my talking developed a different purpose: understanding people.
I firmly believe that as people we do the best we know how in that moment. A bit presumptuous, but maniacs aside, people do the best they know how. The challenge is to understand why, a challenge I gave to myself on the night that five bullets pierced the passenger side window of our family car.
A man I did not know sat perched in dark car, behind darkly tinted glass, down just far enough to see the shadow of a face. And then in a moment, likely compelled by his desire to have acceptance from his circle of friends, he applied the force to a trigger that sprayed five bullets into our car and he was gone. In his wake he left behind bullet casings, shattered glass and a solitary bullet, that by the grace of god, lodged itself in the palm of the hand my mother used to cover her head.
So many things came out of the day including my intrigue for understanding people. So I talk to them.
The past three months in Spain have been an amazing opportunity to talk (a lot) and listen to people from different countries, cultures and religions. We all bring our different stories to ESADE and I have been honored to spend the past three months learning about so many new people and we have had a blast along the way.
Of course, with every great story, the road to get here was accented with challenges that forced us to take a deep breath and think for a moment about what motivates and influences us all. In a way the coursework is secondary to our experience here in Barcelona. Even our group work presented a non-academic challenge: how to merge six cultures, leadership styles, communication methods and habits. Furthermore, the challenges of leveraging the knowledge of sixty ‘section mates’, creating memories with 180 classmates and sharing stories with a group of experienced 2nd years. One thing carries us through, the understanding that in every moment we are doing the best we know how.
So thank you ESADE for listening to me talk, answering my questions and letting me understand where you come from and what motivates you.
To my beloved Team 2, I wish you the best next term and look forward to ‘work free’ time together.
Class of 2012, I look forward to more fun times come January – enjoy the break.
To the Class of 2011, for those of you moving on to your next step in life, best wishes and thank you for imparting your wisdom on us. Fair winds and following seas.
And to the man behind the dark window, for whatever reason you felt compelled to pull the trigger, I understand it was the best you knew how in that moment.
