Returning home from a wonderful vacation I am inspired to write, "What I Learned At Summer Camp". "Summer Camp" was sponsored by the "Network For A New Culture" - a group of individuals dedicated to creating and exploring new paradigms of relating. A stable group of 50 plus another 40 that drifted in and out, camped, worked, played and learned together for 12 days. My overall experience was healing, nourishing and very joyful!
Camping and being in nature 24 hrs. a day gave me a base of feeling good. I loved eating, sleeping, showering and visiting outdoors. Of equal significance was the fact that my fellow campers were open hearted people, genuinely dedicated to relating honestly and compassionately. The great abundance of kindness and open arms made it impossible to play out my normal patterns of separation. Being in nature balanced my connection to myself and spirit with the nearly continual relating with others. In other circumstances, I surely would have felt overwhelmed by so much people contact. But the magnitude of love shared washed our neediness and internal victimizing away, making it easy and comfortable to just be with others. I haven't laughed and cuddled that much in years! Discovering fulfillment and balance of intimacy and autonomy within a group of 80 people was indeed a new paradigm that I found at camp.
Structured into our daily schedule was a morning circle for Sufi (heart) dances, clearings and announcements, time to help in the kitchen as well as an interesting rotation of classes and group activities. In one of the workshops I heard a profound quote by the poet Adrienne Rich, "Every act of becoming conscious is an unnatural act". What we are not used to feels unnatural to us, regardless of what our natural state may be. Consciousness, honesty, trust, vulnerability, deep intimacy with ourselves and others, may feel awkward at first, but a new paradigm of relating requires that we move through our discomforts to realize our truly natural state, which is love.
What I learned (or was reminded of) at Summer Camp is that there really is enough love for everyone. Love greatly outshines any human experience of lack, jealousy, separation or fear, if we allow it to. That honesty is not only the best policy, but it is absolutely crucial to sincerely connecting with others. Sharing "withholds" feels good. Sharing appreciations feels good. Teamwork feels good. Physical contact shared between the same and opposite sex without sexual or other agendas, is perhaps our most overlooked and underestimated resource of interpersonal and intrapersonal healing. And when you let yourself be yourself - people love you even more.
So, here is to my new friends from Summer Camp. Thank you for your love and for being yourselves! Thanks for the hugs and laughs and dances. Thanks for being honest, generous and so very yummie! The world is blessed because every one of you are in it!