The Subtle Landscape

  Recently had the incredible privilege and good fortune to be the only dude in a camp for girls and young women.  For a week and a half I was there to help (well, watch) wife orchestrate a ceramic mural commemorating the camp’s centennial.

  The name of the camp is a Native American word which translates as the imperative “awake”.  Perfect.  Separated from all electronic devices for seven weeks and immersed in nature, the arts (studio and performing), and each other the campers must indeed emerge anew.

  I greatly enjoyed watching and listening to what only could be described as reveille to taps ebullience.  And very happily benefited by this most positive manifestation of emotional contagion.  I felt my psyche reconstellate as neuroses disappeared.  No foolin’.

  Every meal time is characterized by singing.  Songs in thanks, songs for dropping stuff, birthdays, introductions, goodbyes, everything.  I sort of felt like I was missing a gear.  Anyway, one evening after the meal was over, table cleared, and awaiting dessert, I was the only one who’d not retained a fork.

  I asked the sweet young thing next to me what was up.  She looked at me with something between mirth and pity and said “dessert”.  I then asked how all but I knew that it was going to be something for which one needed a utensil. 

  “Mr. Budge, we sang the song!”

  Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques: 

  It was a slap in the side of the head for which I’m grateful.

  I was sad to leave though knew that I was at least as much of a distraction as would have been cell phones, computers, Ipods etc.  Now back behind my desk at my office I understand how the similar experiences of wife and daughters leavened their lives and enhanced their sense of self.*  Needy they’re not.

*cf  Lucifer 7/30/10 

**Couldn’t help but recall that Buddha means “Awakened One”.

This entry was posted on July 10, 2011 at 6:04 pm and is filed under consciousness/psychology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.