On Thursday I led the morning meeting with the remote cell with the question, “what are your goal-oriented intentions today?” I asked this because when we set intentions they tend to be more goals than intentions. Afterward, I asked them what their non-goal intentions, hence, what are your intentions. Interestingly, they were all relatively similar: vibe, find peace with today, slow down to avoid stress, stay calm, stay calm, and stay calm.
Exploring and climbing
After the morning meeting a Learner who just moved to remote because of a needed quarantine stuck around to chat. We had a nice, long conversation that centered on the recent loss of a family member. He talked about why the person was so important to him, and then we let the conversation meander. The conversation lasted nearly an hour, and when we signed off I realized that I had had another Learner waiting to have a conversation with me on Discord for 25 minutes! I apologized for completely losing track of time and we then settled into a nice 24 minute conversation.
Getting lost was half the fun
At the in-person cell there were three younger Learners, one adolescent Learner, and Facilitators Ariel and Lauren. While the Learner is wonderfully able to communicate with and support younger Learners, she understandably also enjoys being around Learners who are around her age, as well. The 13-year-old prospective Learner finished his shadow on Tuesday. One 16-year-old Learner was forced to go remote because he needed to quarantine because a family member just flew in from another state for support after the recent death in their family. And the other 16-year-old Learner was carpooling with the Learner who needed to go remote, so he is only able to attend twice a week for the rest of the cycle. This is one of the challenges of sticking to our Covid-19 protocols while the rest of society seems to be throwing their hands in the air—sometimes our small cells become even smaller.
The Facilitators had expected the present adolescent Learner to work on an artistic project that day, and one of the Facilitators had planned to support her in finding and protecting a solitary space to do that. But that morning she announced that her goal was to instead go to the urban assault wall. It is a place that the Learners had spoken of wanting to visit multiple times this cycle, but one that they had yet to find. She asked Facilitator Ariel if he would accompany her on the trek, and Ariel agreed to but let her take the lead. And off they went.
Facilitator Lauren hung back with the three younger Learners, ages six, eight, and eight. The crew decided that they wanted to go to The Bridge, but the noise that day was uniquely challenging for two of the Learners. They informed Lauren and the other Learner that they wanted to move away from the noise and so they hiked on. Their hike was not exceedingly difficult, but it is still good exercise, and they have been working their bodies more at this location than at any of the other locations we have been at this year. They eventually stumbled upon a cool limestone bowl where they decided to settle down so they could enjoy the aesthetic of the spot. One of the younger Learners took out a book he had been carrying around in his backpack and the other Learner read it. The Learner who had been carrying it around then narrated some stories, as well.
What a hike. What a view.
The adolescent Learner and Facilitator Ariel were not finding the urban assault wall that they were looking for. Ariel decided to show the Learner a map of the area, and told her that they seemed off course. The Learner was insistent on moving forward, and they eventually found themselves behind a large grocery store which made clear where they were. They went 2.7 miles in the wrong direction. The decided to find a place to sit down and think through how they could reorient themselves and get moving in the right direction. The Learner identified a way back to The Cave, and then Ariel gave his suggestions on how to get to the urban assault wall.
Community coloring at the end of the day
The route they took was scenic and eventually led to the urban assault wall! Ariel had long conversations with the Learner, and she admitted that she was not initially looking forward to the day because the other three older Learners were not going to be there, but that she was happy with how the day was turning out out. They then got into a conversation about liberation, with the Learner explaining why it is important to her. They also talked about field trips that Abrome has taken in non-pandemic times, and hopes for what future cells can do during this pandemic.
At the pickup spot they found Facilitator Lauren with the younger Learners coloring a large rollout coloring sheet. During that crew’s hike, two of the younger Learners fell at different points in the day, but both recovered well. As the Facilitators and the older Learner discussed the challenging hikes they had that day, Facilitator Ariel checked his health app and noted that they had walked over 5.7 miles and climbed over 30 stories in elevation! It seemed that getting lost was just as important as finding their way.