My Life at Nonce Community
A Modern Dream of Paradise
I think many of us have found ourselves at a time in life when you stop, look in the mirror, and don’t recognize yourself in the reflection you see through it.
Could you have made different decisions? I’m sure you could have.
Should you have had more discernment? No doubt about it.
Many “ifs” and many “but” crowded your mind, greying the sun and weighing down your steps.
At least until you lean out from a terrace and watch the city lights in the distance.
And take a deep breath for the first time, in a long time
The truth is that no one, especially now, can know for sure what the future holds for them.
I myself have lived with illusions for a long time.
I thought I had achieved every goal desirable by a human being.
I had a family, a home, a good job.
Too bad that sometimes, by dint of closing your eyes to what doesn’t work instead of facing problems and solving them, you end up with nothing but sand between your fingers.
And that’s how I ended up at Nonce.
I was building walls around me, ironclad and heavily reinforced, hiding in the false sense of security.
I lived trying to pass in the shadows, hoping that the people I met wouldn’t talk to me.
This grey that enveloped my life was a reassuring torpor after all.
But people didn’t care.
And they talked to me, called me, dragged me to parties, movies, karaoke, organized for me an incredible surprise party for my birthday, but most of all they forced me to face the reality of things in an even more raw and real way than I had ever done.
For the first time I realized that all that I was running away from, contact and real connections with people, were actually the thing I most fervently desired.
But it still wasn’t enough.
After years of running away from your own emotions, wearing an impenetrable mask of steel, exposing yourself to the real world and its colors is so blinding to the point of making you miss your breath.
But once again, Nonce turned out to be my Rivendell.
Many know Nonce as a place to meet some of the brightest minds of our time in a modern co-working space and a comfortable dorm in the heart of Seoul.
But Nonce is much more than that.
Here people have the unique opportunity to “heal” their insecurities and grow together in respect of differences and be confident that they will be accepted and loved by others in their own authenticity.
One very important lesson I’ve learned from staying here is this:
“Letting yourself be loved is itself a way of loving.”
To ourselves first.
But also towards others.
Never take anything for granted.
We should learn to open ourselves to others and gratefully accept what they want to offer us.
Whether it’s time, food, a hug or a round of LoL.
To conclude.
Nonce is that roadside shelter where you can take a breath and rediscover yourself.
Nonce is a place where growing up is synonymous with enrichment.
Nonce is having people waiting and rejoicing for your return.
Nonce is not a point of arrival, but at the same time,
Nonce is home.
Dedicated to all the people who have filled my life with new light, but also to you who are reading.
Because it’s only when you move that you realize how dangerous it was to stand still.
