It’s a Small World?

I’ve always found it lovely that when we unexpectedly reconnect with people we haven’t seen in years, especially in places we never expected them to be, we say, “it’s a small world.” But over time, I’ve realized that the world isn’t small at all. It just feels that way because we’ve taken the initiative to become bigger than it, by doing enough around it. It’s only when we diversify the communities we’re part of and intentionally immerse ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings that the world begins to feel smaller. Otherwise, if we maintain stagnancy, we minimize or completely lose sight of the various cultures, languages, and traditions that ultimately connect us. In other words, either you have more to discover, or you’ve grown enough to recognize how connected everything really is. The greater the exposure, the smaller the world becomes. Over the past year and a half, I’ve been learning a new language: Turkish. It was a fairly random choice and, admittedly, not very useful outside of Türkiye, yet I’ve always been drawn to the country, its music, and its people. I guess because it wasn’t motivated by a specific reason or person, people are often confused when I mention it. That confusion makes sense, because my choice never centered around Turkish itself. It was about being inquisitive, about choosing to do something new simply because I cared enough to. Everything that it has brought me since just happened to be a beautiful perk. So much so that I’m even considering moving to Türkiye in the new year for a month or two (a temporary relocation if you will). I don’t think I could look back at my life knowing there was so much I could have learned, experienced, or visited, and chose not to. While any one thing can give you an identity on its own, not everything has to be defined solely by your career, social status, talent, or ethnicity. If it wasn’t Turkish, perhaps I would’ve done something else or spent my time learning a different language. The outcome regardless, would’ve remained the same. If I want to dance the tango, I will learn it. If I want to architect my own wedding dress, I will do it. If I want to publish my own book, then I already have it written 🐆. And with each choice I make, my world gets a little bit smaller, and those coincidences become more probable. So if you ever see me on the street in a place you least expected me to be, know that I worked really hard to get there.

- Sevgiyle, Fiza Usman