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It’s basically a fact of life: if you are in the Outdoor Education program at GCSU you are going to take Group Development. Lucky for me I really like this class. Well, let me rephrase…lucky for me, I really like the residential weekend (and the class too, Liz, just in case you are reading this). In fact, I am so lucky that I not only got to participate in my own residential weekend (RW for short) I also got to tag along on the most recent installment for the undergraduate class.
Before you entirely dismiss my enthusiasm
for Group Development and click away from this blog I ask you to think about
your experience on the RW and maybe, if you feel up to it, the experience of a
friend. I am going to wager a guess that you are fondly remembering everything
from a participant’s point of view. Well, don’t worry; I’m not going to bore
you with another one of those generic stories! This time you get to experience
the weekend through my eyes as a facilitator. And for those of you who are
still contemplating not finishing this blog, I’ll make it quick. In ten, maybe
eleven, ok, twelve simple sentences I will effectively tell the story of the
most recent RW as experienced by me!
1.
I’m
going to be late. I’m going to be late. I need some lunch. I have no food. I
need to get to the lodge. Oh no, there are already cars here, I’m late. I need
a bed. I need to put food away. I need to set up my activities. Ehhh, never
mind, I’m on time compared to the rest of these people!
2.
What
do you mean there is no time for tag? I love the 4 million versions of that
game!
3.
DINNER!
4.
Timeline:
What a great activity to show off how creative and artistic I can make my life
look – Said everybody but me.
5.
BEDTIME!
Oh but wait, I can’t go to sleep yet! A hacky sack game (which sounds more like
dodge ball) has just begun. What fun!
6.
Wake
up, breakfast, and some activities…it was pretty neat.
7.
No,
you may not carry each other across the hot molten chocolate pit. Yes, I will
take your marshmallows if you don’t touch them. No, the pterodactyls will not
be able to save you. Yes, you have to make sure everybody knows what is going
on. No, you can’t leave anyone behind.
8.
I
hope the guy walking this direction doesn’t want the group to move. Ain’t nobody
got time to move while balancing a ball on a ring, on the stairs, while
figuring out how to navigate the corner of the deck.
9.
Listen,
I hear you when you say you actually like chili mixed with ranch dressing, but
all I am really thinking is that you are entirely too hungry!
10. “I’ve got a rubber chicken and I’m
putting it in my pocket for later.” If you were there and listening you will
get it. Sorry to everybody else, one inside joke is always needed in a list
like this.
11. BEDTIME! And another round of dodge
hacky sack. Awesome.
12. Holy Cow! You (as in the entire group)
have left this room to “go to the bathroom” more times than I can count. This
contract has to be done by everyone, so the more times you leave the room the
longer we are here. Pull it together people!
While this wraps up my version of the
weekend I promise you if you ask any of the people in this class to tell you a
story you will get 14 different accounts of what actually went down. Now,
before you direct your attention elsewhere here is the neat part about stories;
they connect us to our experiences and because we can share them they also
connect us to each other. So, here is your challenge: go and share your stories
and continue to create an awesome OE community.
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