His trip to Kenya at just 17 years old changed his life, not only because of the experiences he had there but also because it marked the beginning of his career as a writer. In this adventure to East Africa, Miguel Aranguren recorded all the stories that happened to him in his diary. His tales were passed from hand to hand until one day, they reached Luis Valls, who encouraged him to turn his writings into a book.

This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Miguel Aranguren shares his admiration for Luis Valls’ personality and good deeds: “He was the inventor of silent charity, the charity that does not seek any kind of praise or exaggerated thanks and where everything remains between the institution and the person seeking help.”

Luis Valls wrote many articles and had good relationships with the press. Miguel Aranguren recalls Luis Valls’ appreciation for journalism: “I believe he felt that journalists, never more aptly put, had a ‘bad press.’ His way of breaking down that wall was to get to know them personally and present himself to them as he truly was.”

In addition to many journalists, Valls Taberner met, as Aranguren recounts, at the beginning of his career figures such as Julio Iglesias and bullfighters. He even had friends among unionists, including those from the most radical branches. Because Luis Valls neither differentiated nor judged, “if for some reason they were going through a hard time, he would be there with a call or even an arrangement, without them ever knowing that Luis Valls had made it. That’s what makes him an irreplaceable person.”

Aranguren frequently recalled a phrase from Luis Valls: ” Nothing ever happens.” This simple phrase conceals a way of viewing life with wisdom and a good dose of philosophy: “Live in peace, do good, and the rest will come as a bonus; and if it doesn’t come, nothing ever happens.”

The influence of Luis Valls Taberner on Miguel Aranguren’s life and career is a perfect example of how an inspiring figure can transform a young person’s destiny. Beyond being a mere personal bond, their friendship became an inexhaustible source of learning.