By now, many of you know I grew up as a camp counselor.
Wow, am I having flashbacks!
And, yes… Kumbaya is playing in the background…
In addition to having my first Red-Thread-Circle-by-another-name at camp, and being in charge of remembering all the words to all the songs from one year to the next, one of my bigger counselor tasks was teaching the rocks to swim!
The rocks, as you’ve no doubt guessed, were the kids who were utterly convinced that they could not swim. Period.
We’ll leave for another time the many ways they might have come to that conclusion…
When you run a camp on a river or near Florida springs, though, there’s a safety thing involved. The directive from the director was that everyone must be able to float or tread water.
This was a long time ago, and a rustic, woodsy sort of crowd, and we just didn’t have campers who might have been actually unable to swim. Jean, I’m sure, would have found another perspective if we had.
Anyway… Sue and the rocks. It was a really good match!
Back then, I knew nothing (consciously) about limiting beliefs and filters. And, I wasn’t quite far enough along in my adventure with abstract thought to sort the trauma reaction possibilities.
So, while it seems much more complex to me now than it did in the mid 1970’s, I taught them to float, tread water, and swim. Every one!
I’m not exactly sure how we pulled it off.
What I do remember is that it took working with each girl as an individual.
Transmitting, if you will, the magic to each of these unique young women in a way that they could receive it.
And, it worked!
And I cried my eyes out handing them their awards at the closing fire circle each session. (It’s fine if you’re not surprised by that!)
So, why this story, now???
Well, probably because I’m feeling a bit like a rock in this moment!
It has to do with tech challenges. A thing I need to grasp in order to do a year’s worth of supporting others in a way I feel utterly called to do.
And, I’ve learned 3 or 4 things which aren’t the answer, which – at least – narrows things down a bit.
Or, that’s what I’m telling myself!
That and 87 choruses of, If the rocks could learn to swim, surely I can do this!
You, dear heart, may reasonably be wondering why this story, in this moment…
Two reasons!
The thing I’m getting ready for is quite a lot like camp was for me.
New people. New context. New learning. And a good dose of ritual and sacred space.
That’s a big part of why this story.
The other part is the thing called modeling.
You know… the Steve Glenn version I cling to in which letting others glimpse our own paths of learning – even the hard parts – often makes the learning they long for seem a bit more possible!
Even when it can feel scary!!!
So, I’m heading back to sorting the new stuff.
To a bit of Temple Keeping and all the tech-y stuff that (ironically!) goes with it.
And, to a few precious drops of Bay Laurel oil. For victory.
Not over. But, for!
ps… the art wants you to know that this is deep, deep underlayers which no longer exist in this dimension except by the name, Processing Hope. Let the calendar elves know if you’d like to chat about what that looks like in your world! 45 min. My gift. And some new options…
pps… the shop-keeping elves have been distracted lately, which means there are LOTS of things still at holiday prices! Now would be a really great time to check out FierceArtWithHeart!!!