‘Doesn’t it take away from the power of a beautiful moment?’ Steven asks interested. Steven watched me collecting beautiful moments from a respectful distance. He saw me talking for a long time and in depth to a man on the streets of Austin.  The man spoke about his moment extensively and then the conversation shifted to other things which occupied his mind. Ranging from fears to hopes. In Steven’s words: ‘The man was unburdening himself.’

If you are sharing a beautiful moment, you’re reliving that moment again, which makes you happier. This is what happened in the first part of the conversation. In the second part the man spoke about his worries, which gives a different mood.

Wouldn’t it be more powerful if I just had stick to the beautiful moment and ended the conversation after that? I don’t think so. What I’m doing isn’t just beautiful moments. It’s listening, it’s being there for somebody. And that means being open. For what arises in the conversation. Because in the end everybody wants to feel heard.