Gemdjian found new friends and impressions in Tsaghkadzor’s summer camp
I have reached the point in my trip where the time I have been here exceeds the time I have left.
And while I still have more questions than answers about my role and place in Armenia and its affairs, there are moments when everything becomes less complicated and I can detect a glimmer of insight and clarity.
Such a moment occurred on a weekend trip to Tsaghkadzor summer camp, where most campers are either orphans or come from poor families. I was excited to spend the day playing with the children, but did not foresee how much I could learn from them. The moment our group reached the camp and disembarked from the bus, we were greeted by excited children who grabbed us by the hand and immediately pulled us to the play area. This may not seem so extraordinary, but the more I thought about it, the more inspiring was the time I spent at the camp.
During my time at the camp, not once did a child ask me whether I spoke Western Armenian or Eastern Armenian, or if I was Spiurkahay, Hayastanzi, or Barskahay. They looked past my mistakes and made every effort to communicate with me, using hand gestures or examples to clarify what I did not understand. I, in turn, found my shyness and inhibition about speaking Armenian slipping away as the children’s openness and excitement took over. We were not there to argue about differences—we were there to play with and learn from each other. Sure, to do so we all had to make compromises and put in a little extra effort, but the resulting environment of cooperation and friendship made it worth it. There was no taking without giving, and in the end, we were all getting something out of the exchange. Was this a glimpse of a potential ‘Great Equalizer’?
I do not have an answer yet. But I do know that it is amazing what you can learn from children. Problems and distinctions that seemed so complicated dissolve in their clear eyes. Maybe we all need a dose of such clarity to be able to see the big picture instead of focusing on petty issues, resentment, and negative impressions.
For better or worse, we are all Armenian and cling to this essential part of our identities. What we need is a better system of give-and-take so that we can all benefit from this relationship, learning from our diverse backgrounds and experiences in order to build strong connections of support and collaboration. Just as the children looked for ways to get around difficulties to reach a level of understanding that would allow communication and interaction to occur, we must be resourceful and use the unique characteristics of the Armenian community to our advantage. At least we must not stifle the open and cooperative spirit of children willing to look past difference to find similarities.
What will I remember from the time I spent at Tsaghkadzor camp? Certainly not the words I did not understand or rules broken on the playground. I will carry with me the smiles of children happy to see me as nothing more than a new friend, the trust and openness that they approached us with, and their pleas for us to prolong our trip and play a little longer.
I hope that one day, we can be inspired to make relations between diverse groups of Armenians worldwide resemble the kinds of interactions I found amongst the children at Tsaghkadzor.
Elizabeth, 22, is studying anthropology at Columbia University in New York City, her home. She is in Armenia as part of the Armenian Assembly of America internship program. She is first generation Armenian-American. Her immediate family stems from Bulgaria, where her grandparents were moved following the Armenian Genocide.
English
Հայերեն
back to top 
Readers' comments
Read commented Article
Post a comment
Read all 2 comments
Comments are welcomed and encouraged. However, comments not pertaining to the topic or containing slander or offensive language will be deleted. You have to be registered to be able leave your comment. Sign in or Register now for free.