7/29/2023 0 Comments Day #20 - ReflectionThis last writing for this Pod is my reflection on the past 20 days. Tomorrow is a large group celebration which seems very appropriate after this journey. I look upon this Pod and Service Space as a school for consciousness, a school for good citizenship (both local and global), and even a school for being better humans. That such a thing exists and thrives in our time is heartwarming for me. First, a big thank-you to a) all the people at Service Space who put this together and kept it going. A wonderful effort. b) all the people in my Pod who sent in their daily writings and commented on what I wrote c) all the people on my distribution list and Facebook who shared their thoughts and feelings based on what I wrote. I have tried to respond to everyone as best as I could. There were several surprises for me and I really loved them. Today, while food shopping at Market Basket, a large supermarket chain, I wondered if that also could be a school for consciousness / citizenship / humanity. They hire baggers when young people turn 14. Most of the baggers are boys and this may be their first job. They are often distracted by one thing or another. I wondered if these boys had been in a monastic order or even special circumstances, could their experience be transformative for themselves as well as all the customers who are buying groceries. Although this seems a flight of fantasy, I have seen it happen in a different setting. For 10 years Catherine and I volunteered for a week each summer at Camp Fatima in New Hampshire, a camp for special needs (exceptional citizens) children. There were 150 campers and 350 staff for a total of 500 people for the week. The waiters were a group of 14-year-old high school boys who, year after year, became transformed by the entire experience. These could easily have been the same boys working at Market Basket, but the outcome was entirely different. The camp functioned as a school for consciousness / citizenship / humanity for these boys. In some cases, the experience was so profound that the boys came back year after year. They became counselors and staff and helped other young waiters as well as the campers. Quite encouraging indeed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
David FeldmanDog walker, Dog Mediator, Father, Husband, Categories |