A tool is an extension of the body. Stretch your edge. The art of protection. Patience through frustration. That utter mystery of fire. The work and the celebration of being alive. Each one of these meandering sentence fragments could rightly sum up our last outing with this group of Explorers. Amazing to think that all this happened in one spot, tucked in the corner of a very familiar park and equipped with only wood in many forms, some knives, and string.
We began the day with a story. This Explorer shared one of his most 
important moments in his time with his kung fu teacher. The lesson he learned on that day was that tool truly is an extension of the body. We then played a game to embody this important lesson. A blindfolded guardian sat before some rather noisy treasures and the rest of the explorers had the challenge of removing these treasures without being heard. They could not, however, use their hands directly. They had to use long sticks in different shapes and sizes to drive these treasures out of the circle and into safety. Quite amusing! Our group proved clever in dexterity and in mind.
important moments in his time with his kung fu teacher. The lesson he learned on that day was that tool truly is an extension of the body. We then played a game to embody this important lesson. A blindfolded guardian sat before some rather noisy treasures and the rest of the explorers had the challenge of removing these treasures without being heard. They could not, however, use their hands directly. They had to use long sticks in different shapes and sizes to drive these treasures out of the circle and into safety. Quite amusing! Our group proved clever in dexterity and in mind.
We then came together for opening meeting. We talked about the vision for the day and set before the group a challenge of finding their name today. 
We recalled the previous outings of the season to give context to our Season of Fire. We then looked a little more deeply into what it means to Explore. We talked about safety, physical and emotional, and the art of protection. We then brought our minds toward that focus for this day: fire by friction. Fire only comes in the place of friction, the place of struggle. We recognized that many will be challenged with frustration, and our edges of patience will be stretched, but we will be doing it together, and we will be sure to pepper our experience with a good amount of fun. Play is a wonderful way to learn, and it is important to never forget it throughout one’s lifetime.
We recalled the previous outings of the season to give context to our Season of Fire. We then looked a little more deeply into what it means to Explore. We talked about safety, physical and emotional, and the art of protection. We then brought our minds toward that focus for this day: fire by friction. Fire only comes in the place of friction, the place of struggle. We recognized that many will be challenged with frustration, and our edges of patience will be stretched, but we will be doing it together, and we will be sure to pepper our experience with a good amount of fun. Play is a wonderful way to learn, and it is important to never forget it throughout one’s lifetime.
Then we were off. Explorers worked hard to carve out their fire kits and gather all the materials they needed to begin their journey of making fire. 
This explorers has found that the ability to make fire has a mysterious, deep, and abiding effects on his baseline psyche. Some subtle and underlying tension gets released. A relaxed and joyful competence and confidence and a deeper sense of being at home on the earth is the result. This ability, perhaps more than anything else, has shaped the human story, and it is utterly humanizing to go through this experience.
This explorers has found that the ability to make fire has a mysterious, deep, and abiding effects on his baseline psyche. Some subtle and underlying tension gets released. A relaxed and joyful competence and confidence and a deeper sense of being at home on the earth is the result. This ability, perhaps more than anything else, has shaped the human story, and it is utterly humanizing to go through this experience.
Woodchips flew. Laughing, sighs of frustration, the occasional appropriate-enough expletive, and some breaks to play games summed up the majority of this outing. Some Explorers got smoke! No one got fire. No one was expected to. This is part of the journey. We did have one fire as a demonstration, but we will surely have many more as the scope continues.
At the end of the day took stock of what had transpired. We talked again about the art of fire making. We talked about frustration and stretching one's edge, and how it is exactly in those places that one grows. We asked the question: where did the fire that was in the wood come from? We tracked and tracked, and were left, ultimately, with mystery. In a sense, with our minds, we stalked the fire. With tired muscles and a crafted instruments, we stalked the fire. And, for the first time in four years, the group's name became apparent: The Firestalkers.
Much thanks to all the explorers for your great work! Much thanks to all parents for your enduring support! This was a wonderful and powerful outing.
Be sure to check out pics from our outing in our photo gallery.
No comments:
Post a Comment