The day after a conference, a LinkedIn feed is filled with lots of posts sharing overviews of talks that took place, awards being celebrated, and new partnerships being announced. But seldom do people talk about the recovery day one needs after a week of networking, socialising, and engaging in conferences.
When I got on the bus to start my 48-hour journey home, I made my way down the aisle to seat 34. I was coincidentally placed next to students who had attended the congress, and one exclaimed, “Michelle, it’s like the universe wanted us to talk some more!” While I was deeply grateful for the engagement of the congress, I also felt my need for some rest and “introvert time” creep up on me. When the bus took off, it was not long before the students from the congress were all fast asleep, and I almost had a silent prayer of gratitude because, by this time, my voice was tired after many consecutive days and very late nights of intense connection and interaction. I was relieved to take a break from talking, and perhaps even from sharing enthusiasm with the young people in my mission to contribute to youth engagement in agriculture.
The passenger next to me asked (in Spanish) if he could turn the air conditioning off as he was getting cold. My Spanish is very limited, but after answering him that it was no problem, he assumed I could speak the language and tried to engage in conversation with me. He quickly learned that I had a little comprehension of what he was saying but had no idea how to respond. I quickly realised that his English was even more limited than my Spanish. Welcome to the world of international travel.
But this is where technology is changing the world. It was a matter of seconds, and we were both on our phones using translation tools. Suddenly, we were able to communicate. Somewhat slower than a normal conversation, but in a sense so much more intentional because it took an extended effort for both of us to engage.
For two and a half hours, we “spoke” about agriculture. He told me about his mechanical engineering studies and his love for biology and asked how he could marry those passions. He asked about my travel experience, and I was flipping between photos on my phone and the translate app, showing him pictures of some of our farmers and highlights from the 12 countries I have visited in an agricultural capacity.
We shared book recommendations, and he asked lots of advice about how to get involved in agriculture. We shared concerns about food security and the economic relevance of the food sector.
When I got off the bus, we took a picture together because I want to remember this day when we speak again in the future. Antonio has enrolled in English lessons recently, so maybe next time our communication might look a little different.
As a young and talented man born and raised in Almería, I am sure with the right guidance he will make significant contributions to this industry.
I got on that bus hoping to rest, not to be required to speak, and to recover from a wonderful and successful week at IFAMA.
I did not need my voice once.
“Become the person you needed” – a motto I try to live by. I was reminded that most of the time that call actually happens outside of the realms where we think it would - like on a bus between Almeria and Malaga.
Without the many people who have given me little pieces of advice and guidance along the way, I would not have been in a position to influence and grow the sector by passing it along. I now have a new appreciation that sometimes it might have been at inconvenient times when their priorities were different. Yet - they gave me their time.
Your impact will always be more than you can measure. It will always come from more than conference stages and awards ceremonies. We just have to be willing to open our eyes, and wholeheartedly engage.
Michelle Marais
