Dear Boundless Families:
I rendezvoused with the Outdoor gang on the Dumoine, spending a day with them through Red Pine Rapids.
Red Pine is a chain of 5 rapids where the river bends radically 4 times, almost at right angles. Whats behind each bend lies all of eternity, and can often make your bowels go wonky because you must approach each moment blindly.
As their guest river guide, my job was to get them psyched. I warned them that behind each turn lies a WTF moment. They laughed then. They wouldn’t be laughing later. The river meant business. They needed focus.
And then I observed a well oiled machine take shape. With humility that soon morphed into almost justifiable cockiness, they negotiated the river like chess masters.
And so the perfect metaphor lay before us. But I didn’t spoil it, loathing to seem like a bald Ward Cleaver ruining a magic moment – so I kept my mouth shut. But I was awestruck by how MATURE this group seemed compared to just a week ago.
The shy became less so. The selfish started giving a little. The generous were recognized. The brave acts infused them with confidence like it was being injected right into their veins. The outdoor crew are not the most spirited group we have seen, but they are rock solid. For some, this is a very big deal.
As to English – the kids have been inundated and indoctrinated. Case in point. Tony, our Principal, was playing hoops the other day and slightly missed a jump shot.
He yelled, “darn, just kissed the basket”
And a student screams, “hey, thats personification!”
With all the films they made, short stories, stand-up routines, media studies, slam poetry and dreaded essay writing, these guys have been producing. Unlike the outdoor crew, they are LOUD. Like bordering on the obnoxious kind of loud. But all in good stead because we would rather have them shouting over each other debating curriculum than being indifferent students who couldn’t give a dang.
I promised the english gang’s parents that your kids would go home better writers – just you wait and see. They each will bring home those USB thingies of their work, and the proof will be in the pudding.
It’s been a slice. – wishing you all a happy reunion tomorrow.
Steven Gottlieb
