Woodhull Leaders

[sun_set_bravely]

We spent the weekend at the Woodhull retreat center in Columbia County, New York, where we joined a group of amazing young men and women for the tail end of their week-long Ethical Leadership retreat. At one point I looked at the incredible young people around me and laughed to myself. The gathering reminded me of a real-life Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, except without the whole mutant thing. It is an isolated house in upstate New York, after all. I didn't see the helicopter under the basketball court, however.

I can't yet put into words my experience there this weekend. I am always challenged to grow beyond my comfort zone when I go to any Woodhull programming, and this weekend was no different. These teenagers are unbelievable -- their visions, their values, their laughter. Truly, they blew me away. They've accomplished so much in their lives already, and now they've been exposed to the idea that everyone can be an ethical leader, and everyone can make a difference. I'm so thrilled to see what they do with their lives. I have no fear of the future now.

I also had the opportunity to reconnect with some of my peers in the community. We spoke about our lives, loves, careers, and passions. We committed to meeting once a month to check up on each others' progress towards goals that we've set for ourselves, and to cheering each other on through successes and failures. We talked about writing, and creativity. I had a great time connecting and talking with one woman that I've known distantly for several years now. She talked about telling a person she was interested in getting to know better that "I want to be your friend." This reminded me of a discussion that I had with a mother-friend of mine about how easily young kids make friends sometimes. They just say what they want. There is wisdom and boldness in that direct approach. I like it a lot.

And one of my goals for 2004 is closer to being achieved now: becoming a mentor.

I feel so grateful for all of the advice and leadership that I've been given by my elders and peers, most of whom I've found through Woodhull. Before I found this community, I felt pretty alone in my journey. I felt like I had to reinvent the wheel every day. I desperately craved the voice of an elder, especially a female voice, to tell me what she's done and how she lives. When I found this group, I realized how much I'd needed that guidance for a long time.

So now I want to turn around and share my knowledge with other people. I want to mentor someone. The weekend featured a model on mentoring: how to identify a possible mentor, how to ask them to be your mentor, how to set expectations for the relationship. I felt a strong connection to several of the young women on the retreat, and I'm going to reach out to them and ask if they would like me to mentor them.

It's a new idea to imagine myself as someone who knows anything useful. Yes, when I type it out like that, it seems ridiculous, but it was a long struggle to realize that I have information and experience that could be exactly what someone else is looking for. Now that I've gotten over my insecurities enough to realize this, I want to share my knowledge as generously as others have shared theirs with me.

~ ~ ~

It's Monday morning, and it's rainy and gray. I'm still tired from and reflecting on all the emotional work from the weekend. I'm excited about returning to my writing work.

How are you?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/lindalee_/]

what is woodhull, exactly? how did you find it and get involved in it?

i'm glad you're getting back to writing...




and this will sound silly.. but
i miss you.

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

You can check out Woodhull at their website (http://www.woodhull.org). I found out about them through freak1c, whose Columbia professor is on their board. I adore the organization. They do incredible and necessary work in our world. You first become a part of the Woodhull community by attending a weekend retreat. After that, you gain access to their extensive alumnae community (700+ members, across the country), and to their excellent programming. It's become a major part of my life since I attended my first retreat back in October 2002.

Also, thank you; you're very sweet to say so. I hope that things are wonderful with you!

[oceanic.livejournal.com]

I'm going to hook that up the next time they come to SF. It's in the cards now, and it's all blessedly your fault. ;)
I know what you mean when you express surprise that anyone could learn something useful from you. As soon as we accomplish something, we forget that we did not always know it. I know I forget all the time how many hurdles I've jumped, and assume that my experiences wouldn't help anyone else. But that's not true.

I'm ok, a little mentally worn-out, sugar high meant to wake me up is now slowing me down, icky day outside. Things to calm down inside me. But pretty good regardless. :) How are things otherwise? Apartment and Mister? Any more empty bottles of wine floating around?

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

Apartment and Mister are excellent! Mister is currently sacked out on the floor to my right. The apartment is staying nicely cool in this summer heat, which is nice because the old apartment got lots of afternoon sunlight that made the place blazingly hot.

And no, there are no more bottles of wine flying about. But there are a few discarded Hershey's Kisses wrappers.

[mikecheck.livejournal.com]

passing on information is of the utmost importance to all cultures. just yesterday i got to be a part of the process for a (sub)culture removed from my own - that of the american rail riders; hobos. a young hobo named joey had been using our cafe as home base while in portland; free internet, central location, and workers who Fight The Man by maintaining a public restroom being prominent features of our establishment. joey left a package of materials behind for a friend to pick up, and i got to peek at them: a sheaf of xeroxed rail maps, and a xerox published travel zine that, to a particular audience, far outdoes the Fodor's Guide in both scope and functionality.

i'm sure as many learn to ride rails thru a sort of sponsorship or mentoring relationship, as learn by hard experience, as learn from written materials. but, it seemed relevant to note that even in a subculture so far removed from the parent civilization - and so wholly marginalized by same - structures to pass information along can be found to exist. this also indicates to me that our next generation of hobos is being cared for in much the same manner, and perhaps with the same loving competence, as our next generation of writers.

[sun-set-bravely.livejournal.com]

I'm very heartened to know that hobos are still existing and thriving today . Thanks for this little glimpse into that world.

[moriana90.livejournal.com]

Your experience reminds me of the wonderful experiences I had there.