Living Wet, Part II

I just got home from another retreat! This time it was with my co-workers from the Campus for Human Development. The Campus rarely closes -- it is open even on Thanksgiving and Christmas -- but we did close yesterday afternoon and all day today so that the entire staff could get together for a time of rejeuvination, something that is needed when one works in a place that can be as draining as the Campus can be. One of my favorite things about the Campus is that all of its staff members are treated as equals from Rachel, the executive director, to Walter who works as a volunteer nearly full time, to Ron, who does the cleaning. And so, there we all were, at the Easter Seals Camp in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, spending some time together in a way that we usually don't. There was no pressure. We were under no deadlines. There was nobody yelling at us, and nobody throwing things and using drugs. Well, I was on a few drugs to help me get over the cold we've all shared here at the NEP house, but everything was legal.

The theme, which sounded familiar after the event at Ghost Ranch, was water. We focused on the blessings given and received when one "gives a cup of cold water" to someone else, as we all do each day when we are working with Nashville's homeless population.

Highlights of our retreat included a song written by my fellow Campus intern John, announcing that our executive director was adopting a child...some of the craziest spontaneous dancing I've seen in a while...sharing the times we've seen the face of God at the Campus, casting our sins away, in the form of bread upon the water in the Jewish tradition...and some dead on impersonations of some of our participants. Each team was responsible for putting together a meal, so my team--the day team--put together reubens for supper last night. The administration team made waffles for breakfast, and the facilities and residential teams grilled a feast of steaks, smoked pork chops and pork tenderloins for a closing lunch today. I have a feeling we will all go back to work a little more refreshed and energized than usual on Monday morning.

My first four weeks working at the Campus have been quite an experience. You just simply never know what will happen in any given day. I have handled people's dirty pants. I've seen crack pipes. I've seen people (men and women) who have been beaten to a pulp. I've seen homeless people get housing. I had my first instance of dealing with a suicidal person just yesterday. Most everyone I'm around has been in prison. But mostly I have become comfortable being around these people and recognizing their humanity through whatever condition they are in.

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I am looking forward to this weekend because my first visitors from home are coming -- Brian and Sarah! They are on their way right now, and will be staying at our NEP site coordinator's guest house over in Belle Meade. They are coming mainly to see John Mayer and Sheryl Crow in concert on Sunday night, but I'd guess I'm at least number 3 on their list of people to see.