Ramblings on the adventure

These past three years working as the youth program coordinator at Common Ground in Oberlin, Ohio have been some of the best in my life. I learned a lot about myself, how I relate to others socially, and how passionate I am about working with kids. It has been a wonderful experience for me and found myself more committed to my work there than to anything else in the past. I could say that it was difficult to leave, and while there was fear in making the decision, now that I have left I see already it was the right decision! 

External change can be an easy and positive metaphor for internal movement. I started the chapter of my life at Common Ground as an adventurer, fresh from a seven month hike of the Appalachian and Florida trails. A lot of people came into my life in the past three years and affected me. I understood what it meant to be part of something in a way that I never had before. I understood what it meant to be deeply committed to a goal greater than myself. I started to feel trapped. I started to feel like there was more out there that I wanted to see. And so it was a good time to walk away. Indeed at some point in the future I will settle down and live a "normal" life. But this moment is not the time for that. So I leave Common Ground an adventurer. 

One of the special people that came into my life in the past three years is a little boy named Branden. Branden is a camper at the summer camp I worked at. One of the reasons Branden is such a special kid is that as an eight year old he embodies the aliveness of being a child. He is unreserved, does not care what the world might think of him (or at least acts from that place), has boundless energy, hides nothing, and is curious about the Wild! In a sense, adventuring for me is stepping into my child leadership. 

A new friend Michael gave me a book of wisdom last night by Paulo Coelho. I love this quote: "The Warrior of the Light views life with tenderness and determination...He stands before a mystery...every so often he says to himself: This life is absolutely insane. Yes, life is insane. But the great wisdom of the Warrior lies in choosing his insanity wisely."