This a true story that my father told me when I was a I child.
During a big depression in Spain, my great grand father had to emigrate to Finland.
He wanted to do some good, to earn some money for his family.
So, he arrived to a small town in Finland to work like the LightHouse keeper.
The village was very, very small. Just 30 inhabitants.
All of them sailors and their families.
The LightHouse was very important. Because the sea, during the long Polar Night is very dangerous.
He knew he has a big responsibility towards the ships and the village.
But he was feeling alone, because he knew nobody, and the people of the town were quite cold with him.
One day, during the long months of polar night, the lighthouse stopped to work.
The electric generator was broken, and it was going to take weeks before someone from outside could come to fix it.
My great grand father was terrified: without that light, all the ships will be in great danger!
So, he looked for some alternative to the electric lights.
Inside a old wooden chest, he found a fire torch and some oil.
He lit the torch, but the mirrors of the light house were very high.
It was no way to get the torch hooked on the wall.
So, he was forced to hold the torch in his hand above his head,
For hours and hours! To keep the lighthouse lightening the dark night.
Can you imagine?
He was terrified. He knew he was not going to be able to hold the torch for very long.
His hand began to shake, and he thought it was the end:
the lighthouse will have no light, and the ships will be lost.
But then, one man from the village, saw the flickering light, and he come to see what was happening.
He saw my great grand father and his tribulation and he said:
we will do this together! And he hold the torch, so my great grand father could rest.
Soon, other people of the town come to help too,
Some grand mothers come to cook, the old sailors where playing music with their harmonics,
the children where playing and dancing…
And they, all together, were holding the torch in turns and lighting the lighthouse for weeks,
until the electric replacements came.
My great grand father was so happy 🙂
Why am I telling you this story?
Because the torch, la antorcha, is Spotahome and Erasmusu together.
We are the people carrying that light,
and eventually, we will pass it to other people that will come after us.
But right now, we are the keepers of that light,
we have that torch in our hands!
So, work hard, and keep the torch lit,
So, that we, all together, can light up the future.
Excelente storytelling Javi