First, let me apologize for getting this out late. I had anticipated getting an
email out every weekend about my Outdoor School Experience. Unfortunately, I
was rather sick this weekend and used most of my time to rest. Apparently, this
experience comes with a minor amount of sleep deprivation, which in turn can
have adverse effects on the health. Oh well, the adverse effects on physical
health are worth the positive effects on mental health.
***Positive effects? let me elaborate.
Every day the Program Leaders (PLs) meet with the Student Leaders (SLs), to
discuss how things are going, what is on the agenda for the next day, and spend
a bit of time getting to know one another without the 6th graders around. The
last night we do a "Candle Pass" ceremony where we pass a candle and briefly
share gratitude, memories, thoughts etc. on our experience over the week. In
this often emotional time, I said that the ODS program is having a greater
impact on me than the trail did for me. Later in the evening, a PL asked me to
elaborate what exactly I meant.
Feeling that this was an adequate question to ponder, I thought that I might
share what I meant to those who have followed me on my hike.
I went out with a dream to hike from Mexico to Canada, but quickly realized that
the accomplishment was in being out there chasing/achieving a dream and learning
a lot about myself along the way. Financial considerations pulled me away from
the trail, but "The Trail" has always had its way with the hiker, and not the
other way around. I believe that my decisions and "The Trail" sent me to a
position where I would have the opportunity to find this job, I found the job,
and now I am applying what "The Trail" has taught me to my living and my
decisions.
When I left for the hike, I was leaving behind a rather bitter/cynical lifestyle
that was wearing on my spirits. I needed something positive, and that positive
came from the hike. Given endless hours of solitude, I had time to think. Time,
which few actually have. Time, which those who vacation understand. I, however,
unlike the usual vacationer, had nearly four months of time to think.
The trail gave me time to learn how to be introspective, examine my flaws, find
my strengths and weaknesses, learn how to be positive in tough situations,
accept what is given to me as a gift (be it now or later), among many other
wonderful experiences. This, however, was related to my life on the trail.
***Theory and Application
In saying that the ODS program is having a greater impact on me than the trail
is a little hard to understand. Yet I feel that "The Trail" taught me theory,
and ODS is giving me application. I am able to use the introspection as a way
of understanding how to be a better leader, and better role model, and a better
mentor to those who are out here, and eventually those I surround myself with.
It is as if the trail built a foundation upon which a solid house could be
built. ODS is giving me timber to frame a house, and my fellow staffers are
giving me the tools to build the house. To push the analogy to its limits, each
staff member is contributing a different tool for me, for one
cannot build a house with just a hammer. And I, I am putting in the work to
build the house. Hopefully the house will last longer than I do.
***A Few Moments
I stood outside looking up at a double rainbow. I have seen, as many have,
rainbows, sunbows, and moonbows. The rain came down early in the morning and as
the rain cleared the rainbow refracted light into its spectrum of red, orange,
yellow, green and blue. The 6th graders had already boarded their busses to
head home, and we (the staff) were left with the SLs to close up the site for
the weekend. A moment opened up between duties, where I took in a breath and
looked out at the damp, rain flecked field. Quickly those around saw the
arching rainbow. Higher than the usual rainbow, this one was more than 180
degrees. Faintly outside of the rainbow existed a second rainbow, a rarity in
my book. This second rainbow was faint, but as rich in color as most the
rainbows I typically see, which means that the inner rainbow was much more
saturated in color. While I have always admired rainbows, these two seemed to
be slightly different for me, and I enjoyed being able to share it for one
fleeting moment with some of the staff and SLs. I then returned to work. A
moment for us.
***
I stood outside looking down the trail. It was one of those moments where time
seems to have stopped, where I was given the opportunity to stop and admire the
environment that I am in. "Cherokee," our Site Supervisor, always tells the
students to take a moment and admire the environment we are in. This was one of
those moments. During morning field study, the mid morning sunlight was shining
down the trail, casting a long shadow on the trail where I stood. I looked up
into the trees and saw roughly fifty spider webs, all hosting large lazy
spiders, lounging in the sun. Being out of the way of the walking students,
these spider webs had the privilege of being enormous, for they never were torn
by passerbys. I stood in the golden shadows looking up at all the spiders
comfortably nested in the hearth of their webs, then decided I wanted to share
the moment with someone. As I wandered the Field Study Area to find "Snag" my
FI, I made my way back to the same spot a few minutes later. I looked up. The
suns position had moved and almost all of the spiderwebs had disappeared. A
moment for me.
***
Jesse was a student I had on field study the final day of Week 3. Picture a
small freckled superball with arms and legs. He was a delight, because he
always had alot of energy. Perhaps too much at times. During field study he
grabbed a small handful of the light green stringy lichen and stretched it out
over his chin.
"Who am I?" he eagerly asked me in passing. I guessed Abraham Lincoln. Giggeling
he said, "No, I am you Moose."
Trying to play the teacher, I accepted the humor in stride, but asked to take
the lichen from him, so that he may focus better on the field study. Kindly he
handed it over. Thirty seconds later, I turned my back. As soon as I started
walking away, I peered over my shoulder to look back at him. He was pulling a
deep green, damp moss from a nearby branch. He saw that I noticed him, so he
quickly hid the moss. Where, you ask. He shoved it quickly into his mouth to
hide all evidence. I asked him how he was doing, to which he quickly spat the
moss out of his mouth. He had greet specks of moss, small clumps of dirt and
bark falling gracefully out of his mouth. Delightfully humerous sight to see.
***
At the end of Week 3, we were doing our "Candle Pass." One of the SLs commented
on how much he enjoyed his first week of Outdoor School as a student leader. He
said that in a matter of one week, he received more compliments than he
typically does in two months time. Striking a chord within me, I realized that
is one of the reasons that I love ODS so much, the overwhelming sense of
positivity.
***
Caitlan, a young sixth grade student and I were walking back to lunch after
field study with her class. She and I were taking the time to talk. In a matter
of a few seconds I learned that she really wanted to learn Japanese. As we
walked back we talked about learning a new language, the benefits and
challenges, and how she could go about getting japanese lessons. I told her
about Japanese emersion schools and other options.
After talking for about five minutes about japanese, she looked up at me and
asked, "You want to know something weird?"
Interested in hearing what else she wanted to say about japanese I said, "yes."
To which she promptly replied, "Sometimes I run until my legs are tired."
Its funny how the brain works differently in sixth grade.
***
The thought I dwealt on over Week #3
"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been
only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then
finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great
ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
--Sir Isaac Newton
At the "Candle Pass" at the end of week three, I shared this quote with the SLs
and PLs, followed by an explanation of what it means to me. Newton was a
brilliant man. He explained the basic laws of physics, invented calculas, and
even though he knew a great deal of science, he still felt like a little boy
with and ocean of knowledge to be explored. This is like the sixth grader
learning new facts, the high schooler learning how to share those facts, and
the PLs and FIs learning how to teach. I am in an environment of continual
positivity and sharing of knowledge. I am given the role of a "wise man" put at
camp to be a mentor to the high schoolers, but in all reality the exchange goes
both ways and everyday I am learning something new from the high schoolers, and
fellow staff members.
If we open our eyes, is everyone able to be in a learning environment, I suspect
so. I, however, do not have to search for the knowledge, it is given to me on an
hourly basis. This is one of the reasons I love where I am, and what I am doing.
Happy Trails, Inner Peace, & Harmony