“A vacation at the other end of Europe that could not take place, a concert tour that had to be canceled, the longing for the uncle or aunt at the 'second home': the vast majority of the 49 entries received for the #Little Steps competition by the European Commission had one theme: the restriction of travel options
“A vacation at the other end of Europe that could not take place, a concert tour that had to be canceled, the longing for the uncle or aunt at the “second home”: the vast majority of the 49 entries received for the #Little Steps competition by the European Commission had one theme: the restriction of travel options during the pandemic.
But this deceleration of mobility in Europe was not only perceived as a loss of freedom, but also as a space of opportunities. As a forced opportunity to think about how we live, what we want to change in this life, and the importance of humanity and solidarity.”
Among the big winners is Suvathi Jeyakumar with the article Jeder sehnt sich nach vielem(Everyone longs for much).
One of the teachers who accompanied Suvathi was inspired by MAP's ideas.
Much of what Suvathi describes fits MAP: the longing for a piece of the puzzle that you feel is missing; the existential need to be heard without judgment to bring out the best in yourself … or the comment from Uwe Rada, who says you have to listen to your inner voice and dare to enter new spaces
Everyone longs for much, for money or for a fantastic car or for something bigger and existentially more important, like the people who are missing from life. Like a small piece of the puzzle that we believe is important to complete. All my life I have wished for someone who could give me love. A job for the family, but instead my family gave me another type of affection: they gave me gifts when I only asked for support: support to be myself, but instead I had to be a Tamil girl who had to be able to dance and cook. Be respectful to others, regardless of what they have done to you.
But I was not like that. The only people who liked me as I was were my friends and school teachers, with whom I could always laugh and school became my home. But then, on March 13, 2020, the lockdown began due to Corona. I was trapped and on the ground like the pieces of a mirror. I became a moon that shone outward, but was cold. “If you have a problem, solve it yourself; you don’t need help from friends “. This was one of the many “life advice” I was given. I realized that it made no sense to live like this and I allowed myself to be helped by reaching out to trusted people. I broke an ideology in which not only I, but many other girls and women are trapped. I have built a stronger family, a community that supports me to be myself. I not only have the desire, but many in Europe want this cohesion, they want community. Everything I desired was already in me and around me and thanks to Corona I faced the pain that had governed me for years and led me on the right path. All over the world there are people like me who carry pain within them, but because of society, they do not dare to listen to their longing and confront it.
Suvathi Jeyakumar
#LittleSteps #EuropeanCommission #GermanyNRW #sehnsucht #trust #friends #freedom #love #a smile
Instagram: suvathi15_jk
Comment from Uwe Rada
The contribution of Suvathi Jeyakumar (born in 2005) is bold and encouraging. Brave, because with her criticisms of the family, the author crosses a line that was set for her by an “ideology,” as she herself writes. But only by crossing the border can she leave the confined space and enter a new space where she feels at home, because she no longer has to be what others demand of her. The author not only demonstrates the importance of school for all those who suffer from the narrowness and lack of understanding of the family. Your text is also an appeal to listen to your inner voice and dare to enter new spaces. Literature as empowerment.
Uwe Rada