When I met this amazing friend he was lost and so was I.
That’s why we found one another.
Two teenagers trying to make sense of a world where we didn’t seem to belong.
We both attended a school in which we were seen as outcasts by both the teachers as well as the students and that’s because we refused to conform.
We refused to conform because we both were suffering internally and never had the security to rebel at home so we rebelled at school instead.
At the time neither one of us spoke of one another’s anguish, not a word of it was shared but looking back now I see that the extravagant personality we both projected was a facade of smoke and mirrors to make it appear to the world we were alright.
But we weren’t alright - we two individuals trying to make sense of why life had dealt us the cards it had given us.
Unfortunately, my friend moved away a year after I met him, I learnt many things from him and the only regret I had is he left my life way too soon.
Over the years there were many times I thought of him - wondering about the man he had become and wishing I could reconnect to him tell him how much his friendship meant to me and how magnificently brave I thought he was.
It’s remarkable how wishes come true and most of all in a way you never expect.
A few years ago I was scrolling through Facebook and the thought hit me to where his name into the search bar and low behold there he was!
And in that, I’m grateful to say he and I are friends again but despite reconnecting I’ve never taken the time to tell him he was my hero when I was 15 and he still is today.
You see my friend has not had the easiest of lives but instead of being angry at the world, he used the things which had happened to him as the momentum to change his life as well as many others.
To me, that’s the definition of a real hero.
With that in mind, I’m ever so thankful that my friend and teenage hero Jonas Désir will be today's guest of Digital Village.
What will we discuss in today’s interview?
🙌Jonas’ greatest obstacle and how he overcame it
🙌How it’s important as a parent we model to our children how to be treated by other people by how we treat our partner
🙌Why it’s important to show love to your children no matter what age they are
🙌How reconnecting to your past makes you whole again and in that, you become a better human being
🙌How all ups and downs are a gift from your creator
🙌When you overcome your childhood demons you can become the loving and accepting parent that your children deserve
🙌 and much much more...
Because life is about having meaningful conversations and the conversations people are too afraid to have