cults
after i graduated from college, i worked for multnomah county outdoor school (also known as ods), an outdoor education program in portland. every kid in the public schools in 6th grade heads off to a local summer camp that it shuttered for the season. they spend a week learning about natural resources and singing camp songs. for many kids it is a sentinel event. it was for me, when i attended trout creek outdoor school in 1976 with my teacher mrs albers and my 6th grade class. i have a lot of vivid memories of that week. it was spring and it rained everyday. we had such fun.
it was a job that drew lots of like minded 20 somethings, and i made some deep and lasting friendships. i also drew some of the people from other chapters of my life to work at ods. my buddy valerie came from wyoming. we met in 1984 while working together as naturalists for the jackson hole ski corps. we wore patagonia uniforms and took tourists from all over the world on hikes in the alpine wonder of the tetons . i convinced her to come here to spend a few falls and springs wearing rain gear and teaching public school kids about the natural world and protecting our resources. we had a great time working together. 20 years later we still laugh at the stories.
people who love ods, REALLY love ods. valerie and i had a joke about ods, in fact we even made t shirts one year that said-
”outdoor school, it’s not a job, it’s a cult.”
i seem to have collected multiple experiences over the years that would qualify for cult like status. there was my brief ( and somewhat embarrassing) foray into deep-ender churchdom in my teens, followed by whitman, where something like 70% of graduates marry other graduates and all you have to hear is that someone went to whitman to feel instantly bonded to them. After that is was ods, then midwifery, then golden retriever rescue and finally chinese adoption.
all of these passionate enterprises have brought me interesting experiences, fresh insight , new friends, and broader horizons. i am thankful for each cult-like experience that i have been drawn to . i’m grateful for the rich and varied group of friends and experiences that have resulted. so i guess today i could make my self a t shirt that says “( fill in the blank) is not a college/job/hobby/route to parenthood it’s a cult.
it was a job that drew lots of like minded 20 somethings, and i made some deep and lasting friendships. i also drew some of the people from other chapters of my life to work at ods. my buddy valerie came from wyoming. we met in 1984 while working together as naturalists for the jackson hole ski corps. we wore patagonia uniforms and took tourists from all over the world on hikes in the alpine wonder of the tetons . i convinced her to come here to spend a few falls and springs wearing rain gear and teaching public school kids about the natural world and protecting our resources. we had a great time working together. 20 years later we still laugh at the stories.
people who love ods, REALLY love ods. valerie and i had a joke about ods, in fact we even made t shirts one year that said-
”outdoor school, it’s not a job, it’s a cult.”
i seem to have collected multiple experiences over the years that would qualify for cult like status. there was my brief ( and somewhat embarrassing) foray into deep-ender churchdom in my teens, followed by whitman, where something like 70% of graduates marry other graduates and all you have to hear is that someone went to whitman to feel instantly bonded to them. After that is was ods, then midwifery, then golden retriever rescue and finally chinese adoption.
all of these passionate enterprises have brought me interesting experiences, fresh insight , new friends, and broader horizons. i am thankful for each cult-like experience that i have been drawn to . i’m grateful for the rich and varied group of friends and experiences that have resulted. so i guess today i could make my self a t shirt that says “( fill in the blank) is not a college/job/hobby/route to parenthood it’s a cult.
posted by chris at
6:37 PM
2 Comments:
You forgot to mention YSN and the "seekers of knowledge and wisdom".
I remember outdoor school. It was one of the coolest things in my life...ever.
iluvu.eblogs.com
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