Symbols, Words and Gardens!

I’ve just finished directing a teen camp in Southwest Washington this past week and I have to say that it was quite a satisfying experience.  It is amazing how much you can learn about yourself when working with other people, especially teens!  Teens tend to speak their minds and point out obvious truths that we might miss because of the layers of pretense and posturing that goes on in adults minds.

It was refreshing to hear the questions asked and responses given on subjects as personal as dating and hygiene and as mundane as reading habits or washing clothes.  I need to remember to answer more frankly and without pretense when asked questions about simple things in my life.

One highlight of camp for me was not necessarily directly associated with camp.  With a colleague, I walked three miles every morning during camp.  We would awake at 5:30 a.m. and walk for an hour up into the Washington woods beside the beautiful Washougal River.  I’m not sure why conversations are better during a walk but they seem to be that way.

It was hard to see these walks coming to end as well.  They cleared our minds; got us ready for the day ahead; cemented our goals in regard to camp and overall, brought us closer together as friends.

At home I walk with 3 lb. weights but I didn’t want to drag them along with me because of the size.  So my colleague and I found rocks that were about the same weight and size and used them in place of the regular weights.   It was kind of fun walking through the woods with rocks as weights – it felt as though we were going organic!

At the end of camp my colleague decided to take his “weights” home with him.  He printed his name on them and packed them in his vehicle, ready to use them when he arrived home!  I guess to me it was like a symbol.  It was a symbol of the commitment that we had made during camp.  We both want to continue to exercise and get back into better shape physically and mentally so that we can continue to excel at our professions.  The “weights” were a symbol of that commitment!

What symbols can you have or do you have in your life that can act as a reminder to stay committed to goals and behavior that will help you excel in your life or profession?  Is it important to you to have these mini-motivators in your daily routine?

Think about what can help you stay on track with whatever goals you want to achieve and find a symbol that will encourage you daily to stay committed to the path that you have chosen.  You will be surprised how motivated you will be to your goal if you have a reminder every day.  Don’t pass up this opportunity to excel!

I have discovered a new website that I think will help you excel in one area of your life – vocabulary!  For years, studies have shown a correlation between good communication skills and success in school and vocations.  You can be sent a word a day with its meaning and uses from Wordsmith.org.  I think that you will find it useful.

Kevin Eikenberry examines the proper balance between life and work. Have you ever thought about what is important as far as setting boundaries in our personal and business lives?  Can we stay off the internet at home?  Can we say no to calls that come during supposed family time?  The answers to those questions will determine whether you have balance or imbalance in your life!  Take a look!

Here is one writer's mental wandering through the garden and what memories it brings to life in general.  I hope that we can find something as simple as a garden to bring peace and reflection to our lives.  It's important to remember the simple things that we experience with a sense of context!

As I said in the beginning of this blog, I have learned a lot from the teens that I worked with at summer camp.  They taught me to be more frank and honest with my feelings and behavior and not to get entangled with layers of pretense and posturing.  It is a lesson that I shouldn't forget.  I just hope that I can help them get a sense of perspective as they make their way through their life.  Goal setting is imperative but time out with friends and family are as well.  How we tackle this aspect of our lives will determine what type of input we can give to those within our sphere of influence. Let's not take this lightly!

Until next time,

Jerry de Gier 

The Camp has Begun!

Well, we made it from Roseburg to Camp Wa-Ri-Ki and have finished with the staff meetings and the camp orientation.  We have finished up a "get acquainted" activity and the camp seems to be off to a good start.  The campers and staff are full of energy and are eager to get to know each other and move on to the activities and sessions.

We have campers from many parts of the world - Australia, the UK, and many areas of the United States.  It's wonderful seeing them mix and eagerly work together for the good of the entire group.

We start the activities in earnest on Sunday and will finish up on Friday, July 16th.  In between we will practice soccer, geo-caching, ultimate frisbee, archery, theater, initiatives and a class on manners.  We will also have electives such as a dance class, horseshoes and basketball.  So as you can see we have very well rounded schedule for everyone.

The weather up here has been extremely warm.  It's been in the low 90's Fahrenheit.  We are going to take it easy for a day or two until the heat wave passes and we have more normal temperatures in the 70's.

I addressed the campers and staff tonight and talked about the importance of kindness and how kindness perpetuates itself. Conversely, when we are negative that can perpetuate itself as well.  I think it set a good foundation for the camp.

It is a good lesson for me to see the campers set aside potential road blocks and really come together and learn.  Even when there is a distraction, the campers react in a way that keeps peace and benefits the group.  I think that the adults can learn a lesson in that way.

I am sitting out on the porch of the mess hall and I can hear the wonderful laughter.  This week will go very fast -- I can tell already!

I am going to upload some pictures later on so you can see some of the action.  I think that you will enjoy seeing a peek of what we at camp see close up.

Until next time,

Jerry de Gier

All in a Day's Work!

Every year for the last 10 years we have coordinated or worked for a youth camp on the West Coast.  For most of those years the camp has been located in the Northwest, just north of Portland, Oregon.  Since we live in Southern California, we have driven up to the camp every year as well.  This year's trip started today at 4 a.m.

We stayed up too late waiting for the last teens to show up and to finish packing everything that we needed for the trip.  We probably didn't get to bed until midnight and then it was up at four!  It isn't a good way to stay awake during the trip north.  That's where coffee plays a pivotal role.

As we were driving I thought that with all the sleepy heads in the car (including me) there wouldn't be much interaction but I was wrong!  I guess it is easy to talk about things when everyone is excited to be on the road trip and that trip ends with a wonderful camp with other teens of like minds.  So the beginning of the trip was eventful, full of laughter and teasing.

After about 6 hours as we had made it through Sacramento, I heard a loud pop and discovered that I had a blown rear tire.  I never appreciated what those drivers went through when they were changing their tires on the side of the road.  A person can literally get "blown away" by the trucks that go screaming by on the freeway.  Try concentrating on changing a tire and not be intimidated by those big eighteen wheelers.

Did you also know that wherever you have the blown tire there will be all sorts of garbage and liquids of all sorts that are spilled on the side of the road?  You can look both ways for as far as you can see and you don't see anything like what is parked right where you had to pull over and change the tire.

We changed the tire and limped into the tire store and it was recommended that I buy a new set of tires because of the wear of my tires and because of the load that I was carrying.  We had a chance to get a bite to eat and relax in the shade.  Soon, we were back on the road once again.

This is when too little sleep, no coffee and talking a lot early in the morning kicked in for the teens.  Soon, they were all sleeping peacefully while we made our way through the beautiful vistas of Northern California.  It doesn't matter how much trouble you have, when you see beautiful landscapes that make up much of the United States, you forget the ache of the previous trouble!  If you can't do this, you need to rethink priorities!

We are now settled in with some good friends in Southern Oregon and it is good to hear the chatter once again.  They've forgotten the cramped space in the van and the delays on the road and are now laughing and teasing each other just as they did this morning.  Tomorrow morning it is up early (not 4 a.m.) and after breakfast heading up to the camp.  The teens are excited about this last leg of the trip because after dinner and laughing with their friends, the delays and frustrations of today are forgotten.

I realize now how important it is to have a good meal, relax with friends and sometimes forget the troubles that so easily weigh us down.  I've got to remember that!  It's amazing what we can learn if we just listen!

Until next time,

Jerry de Gier