SOARing and cherishing relationships
I've thought for a day or so at how I wanted to capture this past weekend in attending both the SOAR summit and the VISTA trainings. This morning, at the office, I wrote my thoughts in a journal that eventually made its way to my supervisor. And now, in my hotel room in Middlesboro, KY, the night before a high tunnel build at Lincoln Memorial University, I thought that I would simply include some excerpts from said journal into this blogging space, in the hopes that I can still relive and capture those memories without all 1200 some odd words.
After a 2+ hour drive, my first thoughts upon arriving in Pikeville were, admittedly, not entirely positive, as we arrived at our hotel in the middle of a city-wide power outage! It was a little daunting being led to my room via a flashlight in a pitch black hallway, but by about 4:30 we were restored to full power. I had no cell service and unpredictable, at best, wi-fi, but I decided that going mostly unplugged for the weekend would be good for me, which it was! At our first round of evening meetings with the VISTAs, we had a round-robin activity that involved us VISTAs putting a little sticker on a map of Kentucky to get a sense of where we all were serving. Everyone was pretty impressed that our partner sites grew over 636,000 pounds of food last year! On an unrelated note, I dubbed myself "the water lady", because my volunteer task for the event was switching out water for the various speakers on the center stage. Yep, both interesting and SUPER awkward. "Oh, don't mind me, just ignore the silly VISTA in the blue polo shirt..."
For the most part, I thought the SOAR event itself was pretty political. I won't get into all the logistics surrounding that argument. Also, there wasn't any recycling, which bugged me. But I will say that I was inspired by the cooperation among Governor Beshear and Congressman Rogers. There's too many politicians caught up caught up in their own partisanship and I think because of that, the very people they promise to help get left behind. But it was really striking to see Governor Beshear, a Democrat, and Congressman Rogers, a Republican, both candidly admit that while they do disagree on many issues and subjects, they are able to put aside their differences and work together for the common good of this initiative. I think it's an admirable model that others should take note of. Bi-partisan cooperation can and does work...really! And all this is coming from me, who is about as non-political as a rock.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was a VISTA training day with the entire group of VISTAs, in what I believe was the oddest smelling room I've ever been in. I'd say a definite plus of the day was a group session on our challenges and highlights of our service, in which we had to write a haiku about our challenges- ours came forth in a span of about thirty seconds and had us in stitches! We did a little "mapping" activity that, loosely, plans out the rest of our service year, so I rolled with the theme of a garden, naturally, since I work at Grow Appalachia. I have to admit, by the end of the day, it was a little difficult leaving everyone, and I'll get there momentarily...
In spite of all I've rambled on and on about, what I got the most out of this weekend, and what's going to stick with me for the rest of my service year and hopefully beyond, was the sense of almost familial camaraderie among the VISTAs. I witnessed that first-hand at PSO, but this weekend far surpassed any that took place there. I suppose it helped that many of us were serving in the same region, all of us exclusively in Kentucky. But there's really something to be said about a group of VISTAs coming together and having intelligent and productive conversations about our work, all the while getting to know each other in an entirely positive and fun atmosphere (I really hate to use the word "fun", because it seems so juvenile, but it really was fun!). I remember Monday night, there was a group of about 15 of us in this little outside area, having drinks and appetizers and laughing way too much, and I just remember thinking how AWESOME it was getting to know the other VISTAs and having intellectual conversations about what we do!
Of course I talk to my family, friends, and co-workers about my work, and they're engaged in what I do, and I don't question at all that they're proud of me, because they've told me so and continue to so, but I think other VISTAs just...get it, you know? We're all united by this common thread of VISTAness and it really does bring us all together. Meeting with Wendy Spencer (the CEO of the CNCS, who we were supposed to meet back in February) Monday evening after the summit just further instilled my sense of pride in being a VISTA- she is so ridiculously on board with us and is so proud of the work we do! But following our conversations with Wendy, I realized just how much I've underutilized the support from the state office. In addition to the amazingly supportive team I have at Grow App, who I bragged on all weekend, knowing that there's additional support to be found in both Kristin and Chris...I mean, who wouldn't want that? Who wouldn't want to be in a position knowing that there's folks who, in layman's terms, have their backs, even when it seems that no one else does? In a culture where we're so caught up in what's going wrong, who's not doing their job properly, who's failed at this that and the other, we need to call out and celebrate what's going right, who IS doing a great job and succeeding at making others succeed! I couldn't help but think of one of our partner sites, People Encouraging People- what a flipping concept!!!
So folks up at Kentucky Campus Compact, if you ever read this, thank you!! The unwavering support you daily and tirelessly give to myself and other VISTAs can't be properly thanked with just words.
And for all the other VISTAs I had the pleasure of getting to know this weekend, let's go get more done!!
After a 2+ hour drive, my first thoughts upon arriving in Pikeville were, admittedly, not entirely positive, as we arrived at our hotel in the middle of a city-wide power outage! It was a little daunting being led to my room via a flashlight in a pitch black hallway, but by about 4:30 we were restored to full power. I had no cell service and unpredictable, at best, wi-fi, but I decided that going mostly unplugged for the weekend would be good for me, which it was! At our first round of evening meetings with the VISTAs, we had a round-robin activity that involved us VISTAs putting a little sticker on a map of Kentucky to get a sense of where we all were serving. Everyone was pretty impressed that our partner sites grew over 636,000 pounds of food last year! On an unrelated note, I dubbed myself "the water lady", because my volunteer task for the event was switching out water for the various speakers on the center stage. Yep, both interesting and SUPER awkward. "Oh, don't mind me, just ignore the silly VISTA in the blue polo shirt..."
For the most part, I thought the SOAR event itself was pretty political. I won't get into all the logistics surrounding that argument. Also, there wasn't any recycling, which bugged me. But I will say that I was inspired by the cooperation among Governor Beshear and Congressman Rogers. There's too many politicians caught up caught up in their own partisanship and I think because of that, the very people they promise to help get left behind. But it was really striking to see Governor Beshear, a Democrat, and Congressman Rogers, a Republican, both candidly admit that while they do disagree on many issues and subjects, they are able to put aside their differences and work together for the common good of this initiative. I think it's an admirable model that others should take note of. Bi-partisan cooperation can and does work...really! And all this is coming from me, who is about as non-political as a rock.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was a VISTA training day with the entire group of VISTAs, in what I believe was the oddest smelling room I've ever been in. I'd say a definite plus of the day was a group session on our challenges and highlights of our service, in which we had to write a haiku about our challenges- ours came forth in a span of about thirty seconds and had us in stitches! We did a little "mapping" activity that, loosely, plans out the rest of our service year, so I rolled with the theme of a garden, naturally, since I work at Grow Appalachia. I have to admit, by the end of the day, it was a little difficult leaving everyone, and I'll get there momentarily...
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| The struggles of VISTA: a haiku |
Of course I talk to my family, friends, and co-workers about my work, and they're engaged in what I do, and I don't question at all that they're proud of me, because they've told me so and continue to so, but I think other VISTAs just...get it, you know? We're all united by this common thread of VISTAness and it really does bring us all together. Meeting with Wendy Spencer (the CEO of the CNCS, who we were supposed to meet back in February) Monday evening after the summit just further instilled my sense of pride in being a VISTA- she is so ridiculously on board with us and is so proud of the work we do! But following our conversations with Wendy, I realized just how much I've underutilized the support from the state office. In addition to the amazingly supportive team I have at Grow App, who I bragged on all weekend, knowing that there's additional support to be found in both Kristin and Chris...I mean, who wouldn't want that? Who wouldn't want to be in a position knowing that there's folks who, in layman's terms, have their backs, even when it seems that no one else does? In a culture where we're so caught up in what's going wrong, who's not doing their job properly, who's failed at this that and the other, we need to call out and celebrate what's going right, who IS doing a great job and succeeding at making others succeed! I couldn't help but think of one of our partner sites, People Encouraging People- what a flipping concept!!!
So folks up at Kentucky Campus Compact, if you ever read this, thank you!! The unwavering support you daily and tirelessly give to myself and other VISTAs can't be properly thanked with just words.
And for all the other VISTAs I had the pleasure of getting to know this weekend, let's go get more done!!
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| With Gov. Beshear, Hal Rogers, and Wendy Spencer |
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| And last, but not least, the serious face! |
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