Of Fisherman, Painter & Businesswoman | The Intersection
There is a port, somewhere in Brazil, which happens to be a pitstop for transportation media of various sea routes in the Atlantic. These include passenger ships, cargo ships, fishing boats, patrol instruments, individual yachts, fishermen boats, yada, yada, yada! The location of the port is unique in that these aqua transport instruments carry people from multiple nationalities, cultures, religions and professions. These travelers are from various strata of their societies, in different phases of their own lives and come from a variety of walks of life. They are on their different individual courses with their own set of purposes varying from photography to adventure to business to mere introspection.
On that port, there is this shack, which serves these passers-by a minimalist menu of a few snacking options and beverages! Just enough to fill you up! These travelers are on this port for a limited time only (it’s a pitstop) — in most cases, only a few hours! These travelers share tables amongst themselves —which range from long cook-out benches which can seat upto 10 people to circular ones which have place for only 4 or even 2 sometimes.
When these travelers, with such varied backgrounds, attributes and purposes get talking, magic happens they say! It’s almost extra-terrestrial! If you put your ears out to hear the kind of conversations that go around, they can be overwhelming. Imagine …
- A fisherman from Australia teaching another one from Brazil a technique to catch fish that he uses back in Australia; and they end up combining their individual techniques to device an even more efficient way of doing it!
- A painter from Lithuania, on the look-out for her next big inspiration, finds a WW-II-hero-turned-sailor from the United States of America who’s been traveling all over the world with his white shirt and wife of 72 years, spreading the message of world peace!
- A business tycoon from Britain sharing her life’s lessons with an 18 year old just-out-of-school boy from India looking for the purpose of life!
Just imagine … !
This shack … is The Intersection! It brings together people from these varied backgrounds and with these different attributes - nationalities, cultures, religions, professions, strata of society, phases in life, walks of life! And creates this tremendous momentum around the place making it overflow with such constructive energy! Turning it into a global knowledge powerhouse!
And it is here, I have come to believe, that innovation happens! Innovation that can solve problems — from trivial to massive! It is here that a fisherman can find a way to improve his family earnings by learning how to fish more efficiently and hence become able to send his daughter to a better school! It is here that an M. F. Hussain will create his painting that will move governments and propel peace talks across international boundaries! And it is here, that a Steve Jobs will get direction to channel his energy toward, going on to put a dent in the universe besides building the (next?) most valuable company in the world!
It is with this thought that we are building HereNow — that shack in this new-age digital generation— The Intersection that will become that thriving platform for innovation & creativity — solving problems both trivial and massive!
About the Author:
Abhishek is a Co-Founder of HereNow, a rapidly growing technology platform that helps people connect with people around them! To share and discuss what is exciting and important nearby! And to meet all the amazing folks from various nationalities, cultures, religions, professions, strata of society, phases in life, walks of life near them! Download the Android version here!
Credits:
It’s interesting how some pieces of writing you come across can be with you for such long time. I have to admit to having this tendency of picking up new books, drifting with the pages as far as I can and then they go back to my bookshelf (or my eBookshelf, if you will).
This thing — The Intersection, as have referred it as — is from one such eBook I had stumbled upon couple of years ago. I think it was a pre-launch edition I had got my hands on from the author’s own webpage. And I must confess, that I don’t remember the original name that he had given to this thing. But it has stuck with me as The Intersection. I have taken the liberty to stick to it — for the lack of availability of original term and for this almost exactly represents what it is supposed to!
