News from Network Healing Arts

Network Newsflash Events March 2009

Greetings!

Wow! Saturday night I went to my Summer Camp reunion in NYC. Two hundred and fifty people from 25-35 years ago showed up to see how we were getting along in our lives and to reconnect. An amazing task to bring us together was born last summer through the efforts of my best friend for 34 years (since I was 11) and another camper/counselor. They organized the event through Facebook, e-mail, phone calls and even written letters to find people throughout the state, and 50 people flew to get there. Everyone showed up at the bar, paid their 40 bucks, which even though I did not partake in the open bar, was a cheap admission for a peak experience. I really thought that I wouldn't remember many people, I just thought they would remember me. I saw my first counselor Bob, followed by my second counselor Todd, and a bunch of kids I attended camp with. With every turn came a familiar face and a name to match. This camp held the distinction of a 96% comeback rate for 8 of my 11 summers. The camp held 350 kids and 150 staff. It was 8 weeks long and we saw our parents one day in the middle, which was a long day. I was a camper for two years, and started early as a canoe instructor, waiter counselor, and I worked before and after camp picking up and delivering kids camp trucks with all their belongings for the summer. I met old girlfriends, girls in their 30's who had a crush on me when they were kids, legends of camp that I just knew by name, and even neighbors growing up who went to camp before me and suggested to my parents that I go.
My head started to hurt about 11pm and I made my last rounds of faces and names. I had 10 great conversations, many hellos, and many hi there's with people I didn't have the foggiest idea who they were. The scariest thing is the group of waiters for whom I was their counselor, all remembered me and said it was their best summer ever, maybe in their lives, I remembered none of them. I asked how did I make it such a good summer, they replied no supervision was the key.
My favorite was reconnecting with a good friend who came all the way from Fort Collins, Colorado. We had a great talk and great laughs together. Also being with my best friend who I still talk to everyday and share all my best and worst thoughts with.

This was a spiritual experience and one I choose to leave behind till the next. Everyone is asking me to join Facebook so we can connect. I have not seen these people in many years and I loved every moment seeing them, though I choose not to reconnect, my life is very rich, and I feel it would be connecting just to connect, not to be more fulfilled. Next reunion I will be there again, maybe a sleep-over at the camp.
In the book Ageless Body Timeless Mind, Deepak Chopra M.D. wrote about an experiment where they took people in their 80's and made their environment like they were in their 50's with pictures and movies of the time. It reversed their aging biomarkers more than any drug could.
This reunion brought me back to that time 30 years ago, and by good health practice I felt that young and good again when I walked in.
Go out and grab life, it is short, and very sweet, through our good health and open mind we can fully taste it.

Thanks for listening,

Dr. Steve