Interview #3.0 We Are Still Learning - with George Zarb - Part 1
A conversation about friendship, vulnerability, ageing, and the courage to admit that none of us has life figured out.
George is a longtime good friend of mine. I got to know him at my school in 2002, when I started my teaching career and it was his first year working as a counsellor at our school. We immediately clicked, and what stands out whenever I am with George is that one moment we can be joking together, and a few moments later we can be having a deep conversation. I have always felt that, even though there is a fifteen-year age difference between us, I can share anything with George without being judged. On the contrary, I feel understood, and most of all, with him I can be myself. I also feel that, for George, the feeling is reciprocal.
On Thursday, I met George at a coffee shop in Hamrun. When we met, we greeted one another with a warm hug. At sixty-two, he still has a full head of light-brown hair and expressive eyes. When he smiles, I feel that his smile is synchronised with his heart. But when he is listening, his eyes become a deep, penetrating stare that tells me he is really paying attention. No wonder George was so well liked by our students, who sought his help whenever they needed guidance.
We settled at the coffee shop and I ordered an Americano with milk, while George had an iced coffee with caramel flavour. We both had a ham and cheese toastie. Both the coffee and the toastie were good, but because the door of the coffee shop was open, flies kept coming in. They were immensely annoying because, as we spoke with our hands, we constantly had to brush them away from our heads, our food and our coffee.
Although we had an interview to do, I felt that there was so much we had to catch up on that I could not simply jump straight into asking questions. So, while we ate and drank, we started sharing how we had been since I had last seen him before December. George is a very humble person. In fact, when I told him that I needed his expert advice from a counsellor’s point of view for my interview, he immediately rejected the idea that he was an expert. “I am no expert at all,” he said. I laughed at that. My reply to him was that he was also a very humble person because I know that George is a very intelligent person who mulls over every word before uttering a sentence.
We found ourselves chatting and updating one another about many things. First, he told me about photography. Since retiring, he had pursued photography, telling me about the course he had followed and how he now enjoys street photography. Both George and I are, in a way, observers of people. I do it from a sociological point of view, while George does it from a psychological one. So now there is also photography that connects us. At one point, while I was sipping my Americano, he stopped me and said, “I would take a photo of that old man crossing the road.” I stopped halfway through my sip and agreed with him. “You’re right. That man has character. With his bent back and cap, he would make a really good photograph.” George told me that he does not use just any camera. He uses the camera that belonged to his late brother, Chris, who passed away some years ago. Knowing George, I don’t think he would exchange that camera for anything in the world because of its sentimental value.
I told George that I felt I was at a crossroads with photography. Although I still wanted to pursue it, I felt I needed to change the kind of photographs I take. I told him about my decision not to take on any more wedding photography. In my free time, I don’t want to add more stress to my life. I want to do things that give me enjoyment and fulfilment. I told George that life at school can already be so demanding that I don’t want my free time to be filled with more stressful things to do. I also told him how much I have been training and how much training has helped me feel better. George asked me how it had helped me. I told him that I am so motivated not just to build a healthier body, but that weight training has another purpose in my life. Even when I am tired, I don’t allow myself to stay in bed for too long. I am eager to get up and train.
We also updated one another about our kids. His boys, whom I have known since they were very young and I was in my twenties, are now grown men. Both have found work and have acquired the life values of George and his wife, Anna. They are both kind, hardworking boys who are always there to support and help others. In my heart, I wondered how my own children would be doing when they reached the same age, when they would be in their twenties.
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About the Author
Sergio Morana is an educator, photographer and writer based in Malta. Through photography and writing, he explores life’s meaningful moments, personal growth, and the stories that connect us.
📷 Photography: Holy Communions • Confirmations • Portraits • Family Sessions • Events
Interview #3.0 We Are Still Learning - with George Zarb - Full Interview
George is a longtime good friend of mine. I got to know him at my school in 2002, when I started my teaching career and it was his first year working as a counsellor at our school. We immediately clicked, and what stands out whenever I am with George is that one moment we can be joking together, and a few moments later we can be having a deep conversation. I have always felt that, even though there is a fifteen-year age difference between us, I can share anything with George without being judged. On the contrary, I feel understood, and most of all, with him I can be myself. I also feel that, for George, the feeling is reciprocal.
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