As Emre told us the history of the place, guiding us along the path past the other multitudes of tourists to the prime viewing spots, he also shared bits of his own story. He was about thirty give or take a few years, and his family had lived a couple of hours north of Kusadasi for generations. His command of the English language was at least as good as ours if not better. He was a bright young man who was newly and happily married and that's where the story truly begins. Emre's uncle had a favourite question that he posed to his nieces and nephews about the individual they were attracted to. He would ask, "Do they complete you or do they finish you?"
Being complete is good, being finished is bad. Emre told us that his wife completes him and it was obvious by the joy in his face that he was sharing his truth. It struck me in that moment, Emre had crossed over from being a professional tour guide to allowing us a glimpse of who he really was and what he truly valued, and that went beyond being in a relationship to how he lived his whole life.
February 2012 Under Construction |
My tendency is to muddle words around in my head, thinking about all the different ways and places they might apply, looking for patterns in life. I really like the completed or finished question because I think it is largely a question of how we live. It is mostly about our perspective, how we see and experience everything. My hope is that you are completed this week in everything you do and in everyone you meet.
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