With Love,
Becca
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
1000 Journals Project
A few weeks ago at my favorite store in downtown Mystic I came across a book that was titled "The 1000 Journals Project." Inside it was full of artsy drawings and random pieces of text. Naturally, being the artsy person I am, I wanted to read it, so two yesterday mornings ago I dragged my sister downtown with me to buy this book. Since I've had it I haven't been able to put it down. I wouldn't call it a book you technically read, but inside are entries from the two journals that has returned to the project's creator, and also from those who have scanned their entries and sent them to Someguy, the project's creator. For more info on the project you can check out http://www.1000journals.com/. Anyways, it's addicting reading all the pages and looking at all the pictures. It's like seeing into someone else's mind and in the strangest way I now feel like I know some of these people who had contributed to the journal. I feel like I can learn from all of these mysterious teachers, and to say the least, I adore this book. It is probably one of the best purchases I've made lately, and I recommend to check it out. I am now on the look out for these journals, since I would love to contribute to them, but most likely I won't be lucky enough to find one. Oh well, it's simply lovely reading about it. It's just such a neat concept, and it's been my obsession since I bought it. The website also shows more entries and it better explains the project. I have so many favorite pages, but this one is one I really like. Someone took a map of Africa and cut it up to remake a collage out of all the countries. Just something about it is really appealing to me. And well, I suppose that's all.
With Love,
Becca
With Love,
Becca
Monday, August 23, 2010
Fin
Saturday July 31st, 2010
For our last full day we had a blast even if I cried twice. It was my favorite day out of all of them, and that's saying something considering that as each day passed it only got better. First, we had a poetry workshop and the instructor really helped us build up some confidence along with it. We had to write a line for a group poem on things we're passionate about, so mine was "unrealistic beauty travels, and unlawful disease." I was just kind of drawn to the idea. I really loved the instructor's opening poem and Kris's as well. They were both really beautiful.
Following that, we had a history of feminism from the third Nigro sister Julie. First, before I even begin, I love her hair and I wish mine was that cute. (Ever since then I've been contemplating whether to chop mine off or not, but nothing definite has been decided upon.) Anyways, it was based around only American women and their feminism, but I loved it. Some of the events and their corresponding dates were shocking though. For example, the one about Nebraska becoming the first state to make raping a wife illegal was far later than we thought it would be. I love history, and in school we had never focused on anything like this, so I really enjoyed learning about another aspect of history.
In Beyond Equality, also led by Julie, we basically had a closing (on a far more serious level) to our week. We sat in a circle and people began sharing stories, some sadder than others. Well, as time went on it became more troubled and since I've been having troubling thoughts lately I thought I would share. Once I started speaking I began to cry uncontrollably. I completely broke down to the point where I was shaking, and it was just so hard to continue with my thoughts. I hadn't yet opened up to anyone on my thoughts because I didn't want to be framed for being a bad person for wondering about it. I mean, is it right to cry for someone who has done nothing to you, but everything to the one you care for most? As I continued speaking I felt both a mix of relief and sadness. Both feelings came in unsettling waves and each time they washed over me, they drowned me, pushing me farther into that feeling. I kept my head down the entire time, except to look at Julie. Thinking back, I wonder if anyone was able to hear me that way, but I think I did that so I wouldn't see their faces looking back at me. I didn't want to see the sadness, or the pity, or even the boredom; I simply did not want to see the reactions. (Now, being here on this early August morning, I can only think of how complex everything is these days. He is alive still, but he is suffering. Although I am still undecided on how to feel about this, I wish he would be put out of his misery sometimes. No one should have to live through that, and even there I don't know if that's right or wrong or what to think. I can't seem to let go to what is here and just be open or let myself be decisive. And sometimes I wonder if maybe that's the way it should be. Maybe I shouldn't bother myself over something that is so little to me at this exact moment. And so many people wonder why I can instantly be distant. How couldn't I with thoughts such as these?)
After we stood up from our circle I received so many hugs and kind words from everyone. Martha actually passed me a note while we were still in the circle. It said "You're amazing <3 you!" It was just really special to me. Anyways, back to after the circle; afterwards Alisha approached me with tears in her eyes and asked to chat, so we went on a nice little walk around Val Kill and just talked. I was so proud when she opened up to me, especially since through out the week we hadn't chatted very, very much. We really were able to connect, and the only unfortunate thing about it was that we hadn't connected much earlier in the week. I was so happy to have been able to have that conversation.
And so get this. We met the one and only Madeline Albright! She was so great, and I loved what she said to us: "There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women." We got a group picture with her, and even though I didn't get to personally speak with her, I can still say I met her. It was absolutely incredible, and it was unexpected completely. We met the first woman secretary of state... I can't even believe it.
What made our last night such a great last night was our party. To get ready we dressed in the craziest outfits we could find, and we marched into the room chanting "G-L-W, G-G-L-W!" When we got in the room we found it to be decorated with streamers and balloons and they had created a nice little walkway/aisle for us to go down, high-fiving the staff all the while, to receive our tee shirts. Before going down it, we all sang a song to the staff that we had written ourselves and I think they really enjoyed it. To be granted entry to the aisle, two questions had to be answered:
1) What has this experience meant to you?
2) What will you do with the skills you have learned?
Walking down to the star at the top of the aisle was a bit emotional; just the simple realization that it was over seemed to tear at me one stitch at a time. Most of us became a bit teary, and although some tears were shed, there was something utterly beautiful about every tear. What is more beautiful that a group of young women crying because their newly made friends are parting? What is more beautiful than the fact that each and every one of them cares for everyone around them? What is more beautiful than all of us together?
At the dawn of one of my favorite nights tears quietly streamed down glistening cheeks as I realized that this was not the end, but the beginning. And as the music of songs for camp, such as the one for Martha, wafted through the midnight air, a pleasantness surrounded our world, the GLW world. Skits, songs, dancing, hugs, friends, and happiness. All of these mixed with confessions and hope defined the final evening, and also the following morning, at GLW, and in my new eyes it was more perfect than I ever could have asked for. How could someone be disappointed with such a strong finish? A remarkable woman once said "We make our own history," and we are on our way to doing exactly that.
Forever and Always With Love,
Becca
Following that, we had a history of feminism from the third Nigro sister Julie. First, before I even begin, I love her hair and I wish mine was that cute. (Ever since then I've been contemplating whether to chop mine off or not, but nothing definite has been decided upon.) Anyways, it was based around only American women and their feminism, but I loved it. Some of the events and their corresponding dates were shocking though. For example, the one about Nebraska becoming the first state to make raping a wife illegal was far later than we thought it would be. I love history, and in school we had never focused on anything like this, so I really enjoyed learning about another aspect of history.
In Beyond Equality, also led by Julie, we basically had a closing (on a far more serious level) to our week. We sat in a circle and people began sharing stories, some sadder than others. Well, as time went on it became more troubled and since I've been having troubling thoughts lately I thought I would share. Once I started speaking I began to cry uncontrollably. I completely broke down to the point where I was shaking, and it was just so hard to continue with my thoughts. I hadn't yet opened up to anyone on my thoughts because I didn't want to be framed for being a bad person for wondering about it. I mean, is it right to cry for someone who has done nothing to you, but everything to the one you care for most? As I continued speaking I felt both a mix of relief and sadness. Both feelings came in unsettling waves and each time they washed over me, they drowned me, pushing me farther into that feeling. I kept my head down the entire time, except to look at Julie. Thinking back, I wonder if anyone was able to hear me that way, but I think I did that so I wouldn't see their faces looking back at me. I didn't want to see the sadness, or the pity, or even the boredom; I simply did not want to see the reactions. (Now, being here on this early August morning, I can only think of how complex everything is these days. He is alive still, but he is suffering. Although I am still undecided on how to feel about this, I wish he would be put out of his misery sometimes. No one should have to live through that, and even there I don't know if that's right or wrong or what to think. I can't seem to let go to what is here and just be open or let myself be decisive. And sometimes I wonder if maybe that's the way it should be. Maybe I shouldn't bother myself over something that is so little to me at this exact moment. And so many people wonder why I can instantly be distant. How couldn't I with thoughts such as these?)
After we stood up from our circle I received so many hugs and kind words from everyone. Martha actually passed me a note while we were still in the circle. It said "You're amazing <3 you!" It was just really special to me. Anyways, back to after the circle; afterwards Alisha approached me with tears in her eyes and asked to chat, so we went on a nice little walk around Val Kill and just talked. I was so proud when she opened up to me, especially since through out the week we hadn't chatted very, very much. We really were able to connect, and the only unfortunate thing about it was that we hadn't connected much earlier in the week. I was so happy to have been able to have that conversation.
And so get this. We met the one and only Madeline Albright! She was so great, and I loved what she said to us: "There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women." We got a group picture with her, and even though I didn't get to personally speak with her, I can still say I met her. It was absolutely incredible, and it was unexpected completely. We met the first woman secretary of state... I can't even believe it.
What made our last night such a great last night was our party. To get ready we dressed in the craziest outfits we could find, and we marched into the room chanting "G-L-W, G-G-L-W!" When we got in the room we found it to be decorated with streamers and balloons and they had created a nice little walkway/aisle for us to go down, high-fiving the staff all the while, to receive our tee shirts. Before going down it, we all sang a song to the staff that we had written ourselves and I think they really enjoyed it. To be granted entry to the aisle, two questions had to be answered:
1) What has this experience meant to you?
2) What will you do with the skills you have learned?
Walking down to the star at the top of the aisle was a bit emotional; just the simple realization that it was over seemed to tear at me one stitch at a time. Most of us became a bit teary, and although some tears were shed, there was something utterly beautiful about every tear. What is more beautiful that a group of young women crying because their newly made friends are parting? What is more beautiful than the fact that each and every one of them cares for everyone around them? What is more beautiful than all of us together?
At the dawn of one of my favorite nights tears quietly streamed down glistening cheeks as I realized that this was not the end, but the beginning. And as the music of songs for camp, such as the one for Martha, wafted through the midnight air, a pleasantness surrounded our world, the GLW world. Skits, songs, dancing, hugs, friends, and happiness. All of these mixed with confessions and hope defined the final evening, and also the following morning, at GLW, and in my new eyes it was more perfect than I ever could have asked for. How could someone be disappointed with such a strong finish? A remarkable woman once said "We make our own history," and we are on our way to doing exactly that.
Forever and Always With Love,
Becca
"[Eleanor] Was a Political Animal"
July 30th, 2010
Today's happenings began with a group discussion led by Kris. It wasn't an ordinary group discussion, in fact, it was one that I enjoyed very much so. So many topics were covered, and it encouraged us all to have a strong finish. We also reviewed respect, and basically (and yes, I realize that this is overused in my explanations) decided to try to get together and to finish this great session together. The meeting was successful; I will be finishing strong.
The first workshop of the day was by Mike Stallard, on of Kris's mentors. It was on relationships and the importance of them. His workshop was probably one of my many favorites, and it was easy to see that he was very passionate about his work. He wrote a book called "Fired Up or Burned Out" which I'll be getting a copy of at some point. I took quite a bit of notes on it, and I really enjoyed it.
After that we had our community service projects, and I was assigned to Briggs farm (New Horizons). We did some weeding, but most of the time we got a tour of the facility and where the animals resided. I took many pictures of the llamas. Krisy was given this absolutely massive zucchini. (For some reason I feel like it had a name, or it should have had one, but then again I could be completely off the mark on that one.)
So, we also had a Q&A with the founder of the White House project Marie Wilson. The White House project is an organization that is training women for leadership roles, ad it encourages women to become active in political roles. We began asking, so to complete my goal of speaking up at least once I decided to ask a question. Mine was on what she thought the future of the feminist movement would be. I hope it was a good one, but I suppose that there really aren't any bad questions. She was a very interesting woman and much of what she said was so apparently real to me. I liked listening to her speak; it was the highlight of the day.
So, favorite picture of the night? It had to be of Colette hugging the trash can. Or basically any of the ones from peer group tonight. Peer group is always great, and I love talking with them and reflecting on the day with them.
I can't even begin to believe that tomorrow is the last full day. And here's to the best week I've ever had.
With Love,
Becca
Alright, so I am rather disappointed that this entry didn't seem as long as the others, but as the week continued on I found less time to write. I think I wrote most of the following day actually, so that didn't help my case either. Anyways, sorry it wasn't one of the better entries, but on a lighter note, if this can be considered a light note, this was where I made it halfway through my notebook! I was pretty excited at the time, for a reason I still am not sure of.
Today's happenings began with a group discussion led by Kris. It wasn't an ordinary group discussion, in fact, it was one that I enjoyed very much so. So many topics were covered, and it encouraged us all to have a strong finish. We also reviewed respect, and basically (and yes, I realize that this is overused in my explanations) decided to try to get together and to finish this great session together. The meeting was successful; I will be finishing strong.
The first workshop of the day was by Mike Stallard, on of Kris's mentors. It was on relationships and the importance of them. His workshop was probably one of my many favorites, and it was easy to see that he was very passionate about his work. He wrote a book called "Fired Up or Burned Out" which I'll be getting a copy of at some point. I took quite a bit of notes on it, and I really enjoyed it.
After that we had our community service projects, and I was assigned to Briggs farm (New Horizons). We did some weeding, but most of the time we got a tour of the facility and where the animals resided. I took many pictures of the llamas. Krisy was given this absolutely massive zucchini. (For some reason I feel like it had a name, or it should have had one, but then again I could be completely off the mark on that one.)
So, we also had a Q&A with the founder of the White House project Marie Wilson. The White House project is an organization that is training women for leadership roles, ad it encourages women to become active in political roles. We began asking, so to complete my goal of speaking up at least once I decided to ask a question. Mine was on what she thought the future of the feminist movement would be. I hope it was a good one, but I suppose that there really aren't any bad questions. She was a very interesting woman and much of what she said was so apparently real to me. I liked listening to her speak; it was the highlight of the day.
So, favorite picture of the night? It had to be of Colette hugging the trash can. Or basically any of the ones from peer group tonight. Peer group is always great, and I love talking with them and reflecting on the day with them.
I can't even begin to believe that tomorrow is the last full day. And here's to the best week I've ever had.
With Love,
Becca
Alright, so I am rather disappointed that this entry didn't seem as long as the others, but as the week continued on I found less time to write. I think I wrote most of the following day actually, so that didn't help my case either. Anyways, sorry it wasn't one of the better entries, but on a lighter note, if this can be considered a light note, this was where I made it halfway through my notebook! I was pretty excited at the time, for a reason I still am not sure of.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lead
Thursday July 29th, 2010
My dear readers,
Today was just as busy as any other day. It began with a visit from the Hudson Valley Playback Theatre. We did a bunch of acting exercises to warm up, such as the mirror exercise. For that Alley was my partner, and we were laughing so hard at some points just because of the silly actions we had come up with. Our largest activity with them was called sculptures where we got into groups of six and had to pose, as a group, to go along with a specific theme. Every round had a different theme, and each theme was different. Not only did we have to innovatively think up appropriate and coherent poses, but we also had to work off of one another adn work together. I really enjoyed sculptures; it allowed us to be imaginative.
Following that was Ginny Corsi's workshop called "Leadership Today." I managed to take notes, but thinking back, I can't remember the exact theme of our discussions, but I think that's simply due to my exhaustion to of traveling and the fact that I hadn't been tired enough to fall asleep the previous night. Anyways, she had some great things to say, and I really liked how she defined her definition of a leader, and I also really liked how she said that normal had never existed. I found quite a bit of truth in that. I critically listened and thought about her presentation, and from that I took what I agreed with and what I disagreed with, but I think that's really what it's all about. It's listening to your own beliefs while also trying to understand the beliefs of others, and coming to the decision to agree or disagree. Like Krisy said, it's ok to disagree.
After that we had a workshop on beauty myths. In the first exercise we had to imagine ourselves gaining and losing weight and what emotions came from the changes. To be perfectly honest, I had never wanted to escape so much. It really freaked me out, and when I say that I don't mean the gaining and losing weight aspect. Just something about it really made me uncomfortable. I sat there almost shaking just trying to keep my eyes closed; escape would've tasted so sweet. I was able to take a lot from this workshop, and I think it was one my favorites actually. My way to avoid this unhealthy myth is to tell myself I am beautiful even if I'm having a terrible hair day or whatever seems to be going wrong. Basically we discussed real beauty vs. media beauty, and I am really glad that we got to listen to her speak. I think it was, and will continue to be, very influencial to many of us.
Another activity we did today was a hike to top cottage. It was a very pleasant hike, and the woods weren't overly hot either so I didn't mind it. Top cottage was really nice. Only the main room was furnished, but it was still lovely. Outside we played "Honey if you love me," one of my favorite camp games from Camp Wightman. I always thought it was so silly and that's why I loved it most. Another highlight of the hike was that inbetween the hike and dinner I learned how to play grass. It was pretty epic if I do say so myself.
For dinner we got to meet Doris Marks and Shirley Jackson, two women who had known Eleanor as children. Shirley had known her a little better since she had been friends with the help. Eleanor had invited her and her family up to go swimming and for picnics often, and she even got to drive around with FDR in his customized ford! They were both so interesting, and I really liked hearing the stories about Eleanor.
So, social justice projects... Well, I think I've got an alright one that I hopefully can achieve. It's called "art for earth" or simply just eARTh, and basically it's an art club that also doubles as a supporter and donator to enviromentally conscious organizations. By art, I mean anything (music, writing, painting, sculting, etc.) and to gain money to donate concerts and art shows will be held. (Even more recently, I thought of also setting up donation tables at every school concert we have.) It'll also be open to "nonartists" who are interested in helping the local enviroment as well. I hope I'm successful in this; it truly worries me that I won't be able to create it or anything. Only time will tell.
So yes, that was pretty much my day. Oh, I did start decorating my bag. On one side it says "Lead" and on the back I will write a quote, but I haven't yet determined which one. I'm thinking "we make our own history." Something about it I love.
With Love,
Becca
P.S Martha is the best grass and leaf player I've ever met.
My dear readers,
Today was just as busy as any other day. It began with a visit from the Hudson Valley Playback Theatre. We did a bunch of acting exercises to warm up, such as the mirror exercise. For that Alley was my partner, and we were laughing so hard at some points just because of the silly actions we had come up with. Our largest activity with them was called sculptures where we got into groups of six and had to pose, as a group, to go along with a specific theme. Every round had a different theme, and each theme was different. Not only did we have to innovatively think up appropriate and coherent poses, but we also had to work off of one another adn work together. I really enjoyed sculptures; it allowed us to be imaginative.
Following that was Ginny Corsi's workshop called "Leadership Today." I managed to take notes, but thinking back, I can't remember the exact theme of our discussions, but I think that's simply due to my exhaustion to of traveling and the fact that I hadn't been tired enough to fall asleep the previous night. Anyways, she had some great things to say, and I really liked how she defined her definition of a leader, and I also really liked how she said that normal had never existed. I found quite a bit of truth in that. I critically listened and thought about her presentation, and from that I took what I agreed with and what I disagreed with, but I think that's really what it's all about. It's listening to your own beliefs while also trying to understand the beliefs of others, and coming to the decision to agree or disagree. Like Krisy said, it's ok to disagree.
After that we had a workshop on beauty myths. In the first exercise we had to imagine ourselves gaining and losing weight and what emotions came from the changes. To be perfectly honest, I had never wanted to escape so much. It really freaked me out, and when I say that I don't mean the gaining and losing weight aspect. Just something about it really made me uncomfortable. I sat there almost shaking just trying to keep my eyes closed; escape would've tasted so sweet. I was able to take a lot from this workshop, and I think it was one my favorites actually. My way to avoid this unhealthy myth is to tell myself I am beautiful even if I'm having a terrible hair day or whatever seems to be going wrong. Basically we discussed real beauty vs. media beauty, and I am really glad that we got to listen to her speak. I think it was, and will continue to be, very influencial to many of us.
Another activity we did today was a hike to top cottage. It was a very pleasant hike, and the woods weren't overly hot either so I didn't mind it. Top cottage was really nice. Only the main room was furnished, but it was still lovely. Outside we played "Honey if you love me," one of my favorite camp games from Camp Wightman. I always thought it was so silly and that's why I loved it most. Another highlight of the hike was that inbetween the hike and dinner I learned how to play grass. It was pretty epic if I do say so myself.
For dinner we got to meet Doris Marks and Shirley Jackson, two women who had known Eleanor as children. Shirley had known her a little better since she had been friends with the help. Eleanor had invited her and her family up to go swimming and for picnics often, and she even got to drive around with FDR in his customized ford! They were both so interesting, and I really liked hearing the stories about Eleanor.
So, social justice projects... Well, I think I've got an alright one that I hopefully can achieve. It's called "art for earth" or simply just eARTh, and basically it's an art club that also doubles as a supporter and donator to enviromentally conscious organizations. By art, I mean anything (music, writing, painting, sculting, etc.) and to gain money to donate concerts and art shows will be held. (Even more recently, I thought of also setting up donation tables at every school concert we have.) It'll also be open to "nonartists" who are interested in helping the local enviroment as well. I hope I'm successful in this; it truly worries me that I won't be able to create it or anything. Only time will tell.
So yes, that was pretty much my day. Oh, I did start decorating my bag. On one side it says "Lead" and on the back I will write a quote, but I haven't yet determined which one. I'm thinking "we make our own history." Something about it I love.
With Love,
Becca
P.S Martha is the best grass and leaf player I've ever met.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Everything Awesome
Wednesday July 28th, 2010
This morning I woke up and looked out of Julliard and into the world. There was so much movement and depth to it and life all around. The movement of the city, the cars, the people, was graceful yet frantic and fast paced at a nice 6:27 am. How is it that a city could be so alive, so honest in the early morning when someone such as myself could rarely function at such an early time. I sat on the window ledge, even before waking Gabby, and just looked out into that old world that housed both sadness and joy, both love and hate, and it occurred to me that I really do live in a beautiful world of my own. I like to think that I can see the best of things, whether that is true or not, but GLW has been life changing. I've been changed for the better and so many ideas have become apparent. What a sad and lonely world this would be without such a place. If only everything were like this.
As I sit on the train writing, I not only think of what I am to write [I promise it's coming] but all the progress I've made and how this is coming to an end. Even though it saddens me, it also excites me to finish my "training" if you will. And also, to those special subscribers of mine [and trust me, you bryant park-ers know who you are] I have decided to start a blog. (How funny it is to write this now, and the fact that I'm questioning how to start it in my journal is making me laugh as well. Just the irony I suppose.)
Alright, so enough of the long, serious introductions. Today began at Julliard where there were dancers a plenty. That was a rather interesting breakfast with them there. (And as I mentioned before) I think staying at the school really helped me realize that it really wasn't for me. Inside the school I felt like a complete outsider, even though I was welcome. Something about it was just eerie to me, whether that be in my head or actually apparent in the life of a visitor to Julliard. Performing was always in the back of my head, but the visit confirmed that it wasn't for me. Anyways we left Julliard and made our way to the UN where I proceeded to purchase a lovely bag with one of my favorite quotes on it:
After the UN, we went to our career shadowing sites, and I had the pleasure of going to CNN. Our tour was given by Deborah Feyerick, and she was really nice and approachable. She showed us all the behind the scenes work and also the set. Anderson Cooper was in the building for once, and she said we could've met him, but he was in a meeting. Talk about being so close, yet so far! And yes my dear Zoe, it did smell of him.
Since our tour was cut short we went to Time Square a little early so we got to shop for about 2 1/2 hours versus 1. Bre, Emma, and I split off and went shopping. We made our way to M&M world, the Hershey store, Starbucks, American Eagle, and Aerie. (That was more of a summary of our shopping experience; my journal has two - three pages full of just random shopping stories and how I bought tea cup underwear. Yes, I did in fact buy them, but that's beside the point. Anyways although it was a fabulous experience, and we had such a lovely time, it's not worth typing and bothering everyone's readings. So from here, I continue on.)
We left Time Square at five and proceeded to get pizza, then march to Bryant Park. It was there that we ate a delicious dinner and chatted in the grass. Bryant Park was so lovely; the grass was soft, adn there was a live orchestra playing across the way. Even though I couldn't see them from where I was sitting I was able to slightly hear their melodies riding on the breeze. In the grass we simply chatted about everything, including out dramatic lives, or rather mostly mine, and how I should begin a blog. I think I might actually. Blogging sounds totally exciting. (And that it is my dear friends.) Anyways as we sat together Justine also told us about the organization she works for falling whistles. It's basically to stop having child soldiers in the Congo. The way she speaks about it is inspiring; you can see the passion in her eyes. (Through out the course of the week I heard it at least four times, and not once did I tire of hearing it.) Falling whistles is to help a great cause, and I think I may be purchasing a whistle sometime in the nearby future.
Continuing on, my voyage home via train was pleasant. I really got the chance to speak with Arielle and we both really were able to open up to each other. It was, as Gabriella would say, awesome. Anyways, my last day in the big apple was like every other day with GLW; a pure success.
With Love,
Becca
This morning I woke up and looked out of Julliard and into the world. There was so much movement and depth to it and life all around. The movement of the city, the cars, the people, was graceful yet frantic and fast paced at a nice 6:27 am. How is it that a city could be so alive, so honest in the early morning when someone such as myself could rarely function at such an early time. I sat on the window ledge, even before waking Gabby, and just looked out into that old world that housed both sadness and joy, both love and hate, and it occurred to me that I really do live in a beautiful world of my own. I like to think that I can see the best of things, whether that is true or not, but GLW has been life changing. I've been changed for the better and so many ideas have become apparent. What a sad and lonely world this would be without such a place. If only everything were like this.
As I sit on the train writing, I not only think of what I am to write [I promise it's coming] but all the progress I've made and how this is coming to an end. Even though it saddens me, it also excites me to finish my "training" if you will. And also, to those special subscribers of mine [and trust me, you bryant park-ers know who you are] I have decided to start a blog. (How funny it is to write this now, and the fact that I'm questioning how to start it in my journal is making me laugh as well. Just the irony I suppose.)
Alright, so enough of the long, serious introductions. Today began at Julliard where there were dancers a plenty. That was a rather interesting breakfast with them there. (And as I mentioned before) I think staying at the school really helped me realize that it really wasn't for me. Inside the school I felt like a complete outsider, even though I was welcome. Something about it was just eerie to me, whether that be in my head or actually apparent in the life of a visitor to Julliard. Performing was always in the back of my head, but the visit confirmed that it wasn't for me. Anyways we left Julliard and made our way to the UN where I proceeded to purchase a lovely bag with one of my favorite quotes on it:
There's just something I really like about that quote; it's so true, that's all. Anyways, the tour: well, the best part of all was how we got to see the UN assembly in session. I thought that was just awesome, but unfortunately we were shuffled through. The thing about the UN was it had so many cool things and the information was all very interesting, it was just worn for some reason. Perhaps it was me, I suppose that could be to blame, but I did like it a lot. Not as much as the US Mission Briefing, which once again I'll say was really great, but it was pretty awesome as well."One person can make a difference and everyone should try." -JFK
After the UN, we went to our career shadowing sites, and I had the pleasure of going to CNN. Our tour was given by Deborah Feyerick, and she was really nice and approachable. She showed us all the behind the scenes work and also the set. Anderson Cooper was in the building for once, and she said we could've met him, but he was in a meeting. Talk about being so close, yet so far! And yes my dear Zoe, it did smell of him.
Since our tour was cut short we went to Time Square a little early so we got to shop for about 2 1/2 hours versus 1. Bre, Emma, and I split off and went shopping. We made our way to M&M world, the Hershey store, Starbucks, American Eagle, and Aerie. (That was more of a summary of our shopping experience; my journal has two - three pages full of just random shopping stories and how I bought tea cup underwear. Yes, I did in fact buy them, but that's beside the point. Anyways although it was a fabulous experience, and we had such a lovely time, it's not worth typing and bothering everyone's readings. So from here, I continue on.)
We left Time Square at five and proceeded to get pizza, then march to Bryant Park. It was there that we ate a delicious dinner and chatted in the grass. Bryant Park was so lovely; the grass was soft, adn there was a live orchestra playing across the way. Even though I couldn't see them from where I was sitting I was able to slightly hear their melodies riding on the breeze. In the grass we simply chatted about everything, including out dramatic lives, or rather mostly mine, and how I should begin a blog. I think I might actually. Blogging sounds totally exciting. (And that it is my dear friends.) Anyways as we sat together Justine also told us about the organization she works for falling whistles. It's basically to stop having child soldiers in the Congo. The way she speaks about it is inspiring; you can see the passion in her eyes. (Through out the course of the week I heard it at least four times, and not once did I tire of hearing it.) Falling whistles is to help a great cause, and I think I may be purchasing a whistle sometime in the nearby future.
Continuing on, my voyage home via train was pleasant. I really got the chance to speak with Arielle and we both really were able to open up to each other. It was, as Gabriella would say, awesome. Anyways, my last day in the big apple was like every other day with GLW; a pure success.
With Love,
Becca
Today You Inspired Me
Tuesday July 27th, 2010
Today I thought I'd get an early start on writing, so here's the train experience. We boarded a train at 9:40 for Grand Central and the rails run directly along the Hudson. It's easy to see why my dad wants to sail up the Hudson; the view just across to the western side of the river is beautiful and lovely. Earlier during the ride I saw this broken brick castle-like building mounted on a small patch of land in the middle of the river. The architecture, even though it was broken and crumbling, was unbelievably lovely and a few pieces of the bridge were still intact. What I can't help but wonder is why it was abandoned. I think it was one of the most beautiful things I've seen. I wish that I could've taken a picture, but our speed stopped me. Anyways, as we approach the city our last minute preparations are being made. Tonight I will be dining with Barbara Smith, and tomorrow is CNN! Here's to an exciting 2 days in the city!
At grand central we began scavenger hunts. Regardless of my choice to not truly participate, I'm helping Jenn and Breanna with their's. There we had lunch, and then we made our way to the US Mission Briefing. There, seven women greeted us and spoke to us about how they entered their line of work and what their job entailed. As I listened to them speak I found myself very interested with their work, and how it sounded like a nice fit for me perhaps. I liked their ideas and how they did their line of work. Perhaps I've found my major; international relations.
Here are my notes from the US Mission. I felt that it was appropriate to add them here just because in my actual journal they cut my story in half right about here. Following the US Mission Briefing we went to the Met. The Dress exhibit - oh my god. It was love. True love right there. Every single outfit in there was unbelievably gorgeous. For a lovely reminder of those outfits, I bought the book to go along with it. We also went to the medieval art section, French and American architecture, saw some really beautiful paintings, and we walked through the African sculptures briefly, which I just thought was so awesome. I wish we'd had more time to look around; there was so much there. I feel like someone could spend days there just looking around at everything.
Anyways, after the Met we walked to the Cosmopolitan club where we got the chance to dine with Eleanor's great-granddaughters and many other influential women. I was charmed enough to have the speaker of the night, Barbara Smith, at my table. In all honesty, she is one of the loveliest people I have ever met. A little about her; she is an opera singer who actually got the chance to meet Eleanor multiple times, and Eleanor helped her wpursue her dream of being a performer. She was a really kind womanand once she began singing I think we all started crying at the beauty and honesty in her voice. It was such a moving performance. I got to speak with her a little bit when she was finished and recieved a farwell hug. Eleanor's granddaughters were also so kind and nice. It was very nice speaking with them as well. And the dinner itself was fantastic. What a wonderful evening it was.
After our more than lovely dinner, we walked through Central Park to get to Julliard. My walk was rather eventful and interesting, but I'd rather not exploit all of the conversations simply because it was rather personal and well in all honesty it's not something to blog about. All I will say about it is that Eleanor Roosevelt was remarkable when she once said "we make our own history." I can see everyone here doing just that.
Once we got out of Central Park we went to Lincoln Center where more pictures were taken of course. By the way, if I wasn't already in love with the city that sealed the deal. It was amazing there, especially with everyone. I can't imagine life without any of these ladies anymore; I feel so accepted and catiness doesn't seem to exist. I like this place.
And then there's Julliard. It's so nice here, and tonight we're in a suite so we stayed up until lights out just talking in the common room. I've always wanted to come here, just to taste what a music career with Julliard would be like, but coming here has slowly released that dream and for that I am thankful. In a city that never sleeps, we have only grown closer. And to think, it's nearly half way done.
Becca
Monday, August 16, 2010
For Rachel
Dear Rachel Bergermyster,
You said that you wouldn't mind reading the page on rain, so I figured I'd just include it anyways. It'd kind of strange considering I wrote it rather late at night, so excuse my weird references. So this is an excerpt from the original text for Sunday July 25th, 2010.
So I guess this doesn't really matter, but it rained! Right before our tour began it started to rain, and it just made me so unbelievably happy because with it the temperature dropped. And as it lightly danced through the clear sky, it fell delicately. Delicately, it fell and landed with grace and they were so free. I found myelf almost envying them. They were so beautiful and persfect. And they were even powerful; how they could cut through humidity and how it had changed the temperature. Or so I thought. Maybe it was just the fact that it was the rain, so I automatically felt cooler? But anyways, it's hot now so I guess it didn't truly last. It was nice at the time though.
With Love,
Becca
You said that you wouldn't mind reading the page on rain, so I figured I'd just include it anyways. It'd kind of strange considering I wrote it rather late at night, so excuse my weird references. So this is an excerpt from the original text for Sunday July 25th, 2010.
So I guess this doesn't really matter, but it rained! Right before our tour began it started to rain, and it just made me so unbelievably happy because with it the temperature dropped. And as it lightly danced through the clear sky, it fell delicately. Delicately, it fell and landed with grace and they were so free. I found myelf almost envying them. They were so beautiful and persfect. And they were even powerful; how they could cut through humidity and how it had changed the temperature. Or so I thought. Maybe it was just the fact that it was the rain, so I automatically felt cooler? But anyways, it's hot now so I guess it didn't truly last. It was nice at the time though.
With Love,
Becca
Everything Here Happens So Quickly
Today's date: Monday July 26th, 2010
Mood: Content
Today wasn't nearly as exciting as yesterday, but it was also pretty nice. We started our day over at the FDR center with a workshop on domestic violence. Some things presented in there left me worrisome. Some of the facts presented were old knowledge, but others were completely brand new. I've never seen that, I'd never grown up around any of it so it really stunned me. It both informed me of the "symptoms" if a bad relationship, but it also scared me. I never want to experience that, and what is important is if I can see the early signs I now know how to get out of it freely and efficiently. But what if I can't? What if I do get stuck? What if I am a statistic? And the fact that 1 in 4 women experience this... it sickens me. At the finish of this presentation we had a free write, and I titled mine "For Her." Her, or she, could be anyone, but I wrote it drain my thoughts on both an issue I can clearly see, and also to just throw around my then swirling ideas from the speaker. (It was really intense, and thinking back now I think it was the most intense of all the workshops Following this is an excerpt from my free write that I felt would nicely wrap up my feelings.)
Mood: Content
Today wasn't nearly as exciting as yesterday, but it was also pretty nice. We started our day over at the FDR center with a workshop on domestic violence. Some things presented in there left me worrisome. Some of the facts presented were old knowledge, but others were completely brand new. I've never seen that, I'd never grown up around any of it so it really stunned me. It both informed me of the "symptoms" if a bad relationship, but it also scared me. I never want to experience that, and what is important is if I can see the early signs I now know how to get out of it freely and efficiently. But what if I can't? What if I do get stuck? What if I am a statistic? And the fact that 1 in 4 women experience this... it sickens me. At the finish of this presentation we had a free write, and I titled mine "For Her." Her, or she, could be anyone, but I wrote it drain my thoughts on both an issue I can clearly see, and also to just throw around my then swirling ideas from the speaker. (It was really intense, and thinking back now I think it was the most intense of all the workshops Following this is an excerpt from my free write that I felt would nicely wrap up my feelings.)
I don't want her to be stuck like the others; it's no way to be or live. How could someone I care for so much be a statistic? How could she feel so weak? Everything seems unbalanced, and if only I could delete the issue at hand. It shakes me mentally, and in a sense I feel lost.
(So basically, at that point I was really shocked and I just didn't even know how to react to it. It was a really unsettling workshop for me, but it's better this way. What if I didn't know about this?)
Following that we had tours of both the FDR home and FDR's library. Even though I'd gone through them already, it was really nice seeing them again. With touring came tons of photos which brought my photo count to a nice 108, and only more are to come.
Before I continue, I just need to express that I'm so happy being surrounded by so many lovely people. The counselors, the tour guides, the presenters, the campers - all are great. We're becoming closer and closer, and at times I feel like I am beginning to know them better than I know my home friends. I don't think I could say one bad thing about any of them.
Anyways, back to the story. After the tours we had a workshop on both diversity and team building. We played all these games, and they were just so much fun. We played fruit bowl and another game with a path through the forest. It's real name escapes me at the moment. After, Maria and I had to define the term sexism. We decided that as a noun it was a bias or discrimination against the opposite gender.
So after that we did the Hudson Walking Bridge. The view was absolutely breathtaking! And more pictures were produced of course. How couldn't they be? Anyways, the view was gorgeous and I'm really glad we went. It gave us some nice exercise but it also provided us with a little social time as well. Great location, I'd love to return sometime.
Following that was the last workshop of the day. As much as I love Annett, it was a tad bit dry in certain parts, but at the same time it was interesting. It was on oppression, but I never got the true understanding until the very end. This was a new topic for me, but I can't speak for others.
"Cher" time was the best part though. I really liked it because it gave us a chance to really talk, and also it was so interesting. For example, Majd brought us gifts from Jordan. It was very thoughtful and nice of her. It was really cool hearing about her culture and Jordan. Some sang songs or played instruments, which was impressive, but I was pretty proud of myself since I was the first camper to stand up. As I walk up I remember some clapping, but it was really nice just being able to get up there. I think, or better yet hope, they saw it as somewhat brave, considering that my bravery is very limited, but also surprising because I am so soft spoken during the workshops. I got up and presented my viola string and talked about my playing in general. I feel like it was my first well done presentation in a long time. For this entire week I've promised to speak up at least one, so that was my second effort of the day.
New York City Tomorrow! And possibly shopping in time square Wednesday. That's good shopping, right?
With love,
Becca
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Reflection of Sunday
Sunday July 25th, 2010
After this we went to Ivy's workshop on challenging bias. Oh. My. God.
That was the best workshop ever, and I think when I say that it was the highlight of the day, I'd have nearly every one's vote. She started with listing all these racial slurs, and it really stunned us, or well, at least it did to me. Sure, we were familiar with a few of them, but the forward approach of the topic just shocked us and grabbed our attention right away. From there she told us of her childhood as an African-American child Birmingham, Alabama during the civil rights movement. Every single detail painted a better picture of what I'd learned a little about, and almost every fact was unreal. I'd learned about the subject before but having heard her really tell it as her story, as her experience made it come to life for me. Just hearing from someone who really lived through it made us understand even more what out country's history entails. Her speech was very moving, and at the end she opened the floor for those who wanted to share. This I am thankful for. Although I chose to sit back and watch, which now I am almost regretful of, in a sense this activity brought us as a group closer. I found all of those who went up there very brave, and I gained a new respect for them. For example, (and I apologize for mentioning this is you'd rather not have it said) Malaika was so personal to the point where I began crying with her. I respect her for saying what I didn't have the courage to say.
To unofficially end that workshop after Ivy had ended it, we took part in Martha's activity called "Stand Up for Diversity," which was anonymously filling out a sheet then swapping, and if there was a check in front of the phrase. Here's what the sheet I got looked like:
"Look, I can make figure eights with my elbow!" -MarthaAlright, so today was even better than yesterday. We had a total of 4 workshops, a few activities, then peer groups. Our first workshop was titled "Listening for Empowerment" and it was ran by Jenny. It basically was to teach us how to be better listeners and she related it to her line of work, counseling victimized people. She gave us some great tips, such as how to be better engaged and how to approach helping someone without telling them what they should do. Although they were great, I also can't help but think that this could even help us cheat in listening to someone, but knowing those who took the class I don't think it'd ever be used in that way. I took about 2 1/2 pages of notes on just that workshop. (BTW if anyone ever wants those notes, feel free to comment me and ask or get in touch with me somehow. I'd be more than happy to send any of them.)
After this we went to Ivy's workshop on challenging bias. Oh. My. God.
That was the best workshop ever, and I think when I say that it was the highlight of the day, I'd have nearly every one's vote. She started with listing all these racial slurs, and it really stunned us, or well, at least it did to me. Sure, we were familiar with a few of them, but the forward approach of the topic just shocked us and grabbed our attention right away. From there she told us of her childhood as an African-American child Birmingham, Alabama during the civil rights movement. Every single detail painted a better picture of what I'd learned a little about, and almost every fact was unreal. I'd learned about the subject before but having heard her really tell it as her story, as her experience made it come to life for me. Just hearing from someone who really lived through it made us understand even more what out country's history entails. Her speech was very moving, and at the end she opened the floor for those who wanted to share. This I am thankful for. Although I chose to sit back and watch, which now I am almost regretful of, in a sense this activity brought us as a group closer. I found all of those who went up there very brave, and I gained a new respect for them. For example, (and I apologize for mentioning this is you'd rather not have it said) Malaika was so personal to the point where I began crying with her. I respect her for saying what I didn't have the courage to say.
To unofficially end that workshop after Ivy had ended it, we took part in Martha's activity called "Stand Up for Diversity," which was anonymously filling out a sheet then swapping, and if there was a check in front of the phrase. Here's what the sheet I got looked like:
So, the exercise's purpose is to show that everyone here has dealt with bad situations and that no one has to go through it alone. Even though it was completely anonymous it still brought us together. At the same time, it depressed me because some of the larger numbers that stood for certain topics. I realized that I have been so privileged for not having experienced many of those topics, but I also felt so terrible for those who had. My sadness and relief was also mixed with awe. This is stereotypical, but those who I had seen pre-camp who had gone through with some of these always let it drown their happiness, where as these girls who had experienced these amazed me. I didn't know who had checked them off, and honestly, there was no way to truly tell. They were all so unbelievably happy... how could something tragic have happened to them? It brought a mixture of emotions to the tent.
(And here in my notebook it goes on about how happy I was that it had rained... Of course I would be the one to write a page on rain.)
And here's the dl on the Valkill tour: It was AMAZING. Like always, of course, and it was cool because I got to re-meet the woman who actually introduced me to GLW. The tour was nice, and rehearing the history was a pleasant reminder as well.
After, we had a history on Eleanor. As interesting as it was it was a wee bit dry, but like I said, it was pleasant. We then worked on case studies and those were very interesting. We debated in a sense over 6 topics. If only I could remember the specifics... Anyways, our group ended with more questions than answers and it really could've continued for hours. Anyways, after that, which I once again took far too many notes on, we watched a badminton game between Kris and Annett. So get this; Annett is, or as she says was, the best badminton player in all of Uganda, and then 4th best in the continent of Africa. She creamed Kris, but Kris never gave up! That's all that matters anyways, right? It was a pretty entertaining match, and I got some pretty sweet pictures of her diving for the birdie.
Once we returned to Vassar, we were introduced to 2 GLW alum who told us about our social justice projects. From brainstorming I came up with 2 ideas. (1 of which was the finished product, and I won't go on about it right now since in the following posts you'll be able to read about it in detail, but the one I chose to use as my final project is called eARTh club. It's basically a music and art club that raises money for an eviromentally conscious charity. In my notes it goes on to say that I'll most likely choose eARTh as my final product.)
To finish off: peer groups. Martha's my group leader and my group consists of Colette, Chloe, Monica, Mari, Alley, and I. Martha kind of reminds me of Rachel McAdams in a way, but she carries herself in a certain way that I can't put words to. Nobly perhaps? I'm not truly sure.
Most counselors have tattoos, and I kind of love it. Martha's is "create" on her foot, and Krisy has a strawberry tat on her back. Everyone here is so nice and sweet and also just so welcoming. I have a feeling that tomorrow will be just as great if not better.
With Love,
Becca
Day One: Saturday
Saturday July 24th, 2010
So here's to the beginning of my great adventure! After having had the chance to unpack and say goodbye to my family, we started with our first workshop of the week. Her name was Ekaterini, aka EKat, where we focused on team building and obtained our journals. Although these weren't from the actual workshop with EKat, I just associate the two of them together. These journals were to be used all week in whatever way we chose, and the thought of being able to fill this up entirely in a week almost excites me. Anyways, in EKat's workshop we started with some "getting-to-know-you" games, such as making eye contact with someone new and making up handshakes. After those games we also played 2-3 rounds of tag, but it wasn't one's usual game of tag; one round was where everyone was it, and the other was simply between partners.
Following those, we split into 2 smaller groups where we took turns doing activities. The first was "Have you ever" where one person stood in the middle and stated something they had done before. If it had been done then you'd go to another spot in the circle by not running but "a quick walk." The object, if you will, was to not get in the middle. Then, we had out first real team building experience with this gigantic calculator. We took 2 tries to do the task of "punching in" all 30 numbers in ascending order. By the second try we really worked together and got it done quickly and efficiently. To finish that workshop we had to think of a word to describe the experience. Mine was imaginative for whatever reason.
After that workshop, we listened to one on the Poughkeepsie Farm Project. Basically we focused on both the producers and consumers side of foods, and we also learned the real meaning of organic and environment. The speaker Sarah reminded me of a good friend of mine actually; they had the same voice and kind of looked similar. Anyways to finish that we did a quick project.
The last activity of the night, excluding peer groups, was Kris's discussion on mentoring. She started with a story about her going to the library, and eventually, it led to a beautiful backpack metaphor. She became very personal with us on her childhood and her experience with verbal abuse. She talked about how that had impacted her entire life, and how afraid she had been to make mistakes, but with the help of Annett she learned that making a mistake didn't mean she was a loser or an idiot. It was just something that had happened in her life. She then talked about the importance of mentors and a 360 degree mentoring system. We each wrote down a few people who could be potential mentors and mentorees.
Then came peer groups with the ever so awesome Martha. Of course we did the usual evaluation, but then she told us hilarious stories about her brother and mother who apparently can't sweat. We all talked about role models, and I mentioned my dad and how charismatic and knowledgeable he is. (Note: Looking back, he was the first and only name that popped into my head, but due to recent circumstances I had realized how many names I really could've said. It's crazy at how things can change so quickly.) I feel like I've made a lot of friends here, and my roommate is awesome. I think this is going to be a beautiful week.
With Love,
Becca
So here's to the beginning of my great adventure! After having had the chance to unpack and say goodbye to my family, we started with our first workshop of the week. Her name was Ekaterini, aka EKat, where we focused on team building and obtained our journals. Although these weren't from the actual workshop with EKat, I just associate the two of them together. These journals were to be used all week in whatever way we chose, and the thought of being able to fill this up entirely in a week almost excites me. Anyways, in EKat's workshop we started with some "getting-to-know-you" games, such as making eye contact with someone new and making up handshakes. After those games we also played 2-3 rounds of tag, but it wasn't one's usual game of tag; one round was where everyone was it, and the other was simply between partners.
Following those, we split into 2 smaller groups where we took turns doing activities. The first was "Have you ever" where one person stood in the middle and stated something they had done before. If it had been done then you'd go to another spot in the circle by not running but "a quick walk." The object, if you will, was to not get in the middle. Then, we had out first real team building experience with this gigantic calculator. We took 2 tries to do the task of "punching in" all 30 numbers in ascending order. By the second try we really worked together and got it done quickly and efficiently. To finish that workshop we had to think of a word to describe the experience. Mine was imaginative for whatever reason.
After that workshop, we listened to one on the Poughkeepsie Farm Project. Basically we focused on both the producers and consumers side of foods, and we also learned the real meaning of organic and environment. The speaker Sarah reminded me of a good friend of mine actually; they had the same voice and kind of looked similar. Anyways to finish that we did a quick project.
The last activity of the night, excluding peer groups, was Kris's discussion on mentoring. She started with a story about her going to the library, and eventually, it led to a beautiful backpack metaphor. She became very personal with us on her childhood and her experience with verbal abuse. She talked about how that had impacted her entire life, and how afraid she had been to make mistakes, but with the help of Annett she learned that making a mistake didn't mean she was a loser or an idiot. It was just something that had happened in her life. She then talked about the importance of mentors and a 360 degree mentoring system. We each wrote down a few people who could be potential mentors and mentorees.
Then came peer groups with the ever so awesome Martha. Of course we did the usual evaluation, but then she told us hilarious stories about her brother and mother who apparently can't sweat. We all talked about role models, and I mentioned my dad and how charismatic and knowledgeable he is. (Note: Looking back, he was the first and only name that popped into my head, but due to recent circumstances I had realized how many names I really could've said. It's crazy at how things can change so quickly.) I feel like I've made a lot of friends here, and my roommate is awesome. I think this is going to be a beautiful week.
With Love,
Becca
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Quotes
To begin this blogging experiance, I figured that I'd share the few quotes I managed to pick up through out the week.
"We make our own history." -Eleanor Roosevelt
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"A bold attempt is half of success."
"Glitter is the STD of crafts; once you get it, it never goes away." -Martha
"Do something that scares you everyday." -Eleanor Roosevelt
"It's easy to become a leader, but it's hard to be a leader." -ECat
"We make our own history." -Eleanor Roosevelt
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"A bold attempt is half of success."
"Glitter is the STD of crafts; once you get it, it never goes away." -Martha
"Do something that scares you everyday." -Eleanor Roosevelt
"It's easy to become a leader, but it's hard to be a leader." -ECat
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Introduction of a Lifetime
My dearest readers,
Alright, so in this opening post, I figured that I'd just babble on about how this whole blog thing became a reality and stuff, so to begin I need to take you back a few weeks ago to July 24th when I entered the magical world of GLW, a leadership camp that truly altered my thinking and changed me for the better. In such an environment, one is given room to grow and evolve for nine days with 29 other individuals. In those 9 days I obtained 29 new best friends, and the best thing is that even if I wanted to, there isn't one bad thing I could say about any of them. We became so close, and I feel like our journey to NYC brought us even closer together. Well, that's when the blog idea was born, so maybe that's my ego speaking, but I truly believe that it brought us closer together and only helped us bond further. Anyways, while a number of us were lounging in Bryant Park the topic of my dramatic life arose. For those of you who participated in this discussion, please let me know (if you remember of course) how we got into that topic.
Like I said, we were lounging in Bryant Park, and we somehow got onto that topic and also how I was keeping a written account of everything that occurred during these nine days. At first, when they asked me to read my writings, I was thinking that I'd just upload scanned pictures of my actual pages and email them, but then I got to thinking how silly that really would be. It'd be a million things to download off their emails and also it'd take forever to even scan them all on to my computer, so basically it wasn't efficient enough for me. So then I decided that I would type them up, and then distribute them via email, but then I realized that was silly as well. Why limit my readers to only those who were sitting with me at the time? What if there are others who are curious as to what occurred at this lovely camp of mine? So, the idea of a blog was born, and the fact that so many people supported the idea really pushed me to follow through with it, so here I am... blogging...
I remember saying that I would start this in late August, but I've found that there's no sense in that. I'll just space out the entries so I don't make it a boring blog right away. One's life can only be so dramatic! So, as I commonly wrote in my notebook during the duration of GLW, "Here's to the beginning of a great adventure."
With Love,
Becca
Alright, so in this opening post, I figured that I'd just babble on about how this whole blog thing became a reality and stuff, so to begin I need to take you back a few weeks ago to July 24th when I entered the magical world of GLW, a leadership camp that truly altered my thinking and changed me for the better. In such an environment, one is given room to grow and evolve for nine days with 29 other individuals. In those 9 days I obtained 29 new best friends, and the best thing is that even if I wanted to, there isn't one bad thing I could say about any of them. We became so close, and I feel like our journey to NYC brought us even closer together. Well, that's when the blog idea was born, so maybe that's my ego speaking, but I truly believe that it brought us closer together and only helped us bond further. Anyways, while a number of us were lounging in Bryant Park the topic of my dramatic life arose. For those of you who participated in this discussion, please let me know (if you remember of course) how we got into that topic.
Like I said, we were lounging in Bryant Park, and we somehow got onto that topic and also how I was keeping a written account of everything that occurred during these nine days. At first, when they asked me to read my writings, I was thinking that I'd just upload scanned pictures of my actual pages and email them, but then I got to thinking how silly that really would be. It'd be a million things to download off their emails and also it'd take forever to even scan them all on to my computer, so basically it wasn't efficient enough for me. So then I decided that I would type them up, and then distribute them via email, but then I realized that was silly as well. Why limit my readers to only those who were sitting with me at the time? What if there are others who are curious as to what occurred at this lovely camp of mine? So, the idea of a blog was born, and the fact that so many people supported the idea really pushed me to follow through with it, so here I am... blogging...
I remember saying that I would start this in late August, but I've found that there's no sense in that. I'll just space out the entries so I don't make it a boring blog right away. One's life can only be so dramatic! So, as I commonly wrote in my notebook during the duration of GLW, "Here's to the beginning of a great adventure."
With Love,
Becca
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