Own It!

Beyond owning their educational choices, self-directed, life-learners are expected to take responsibility for all of it: their mistakes and achievements, their feelings, their moments of cruelty and kindness, their gifts, talents, and aspirations, as well as their ineptitudes – all of the bad, as well as the good. 
 
One of the first (and ongoing) lessons DRC students learn is that acknowledging their errors, whether intentional or accidental, (including their cra*ppy attitude when they were tired or angry) goes a long way in reparation.
 
To be clear, a forced (or enforced), “I’m sorry”, does not cut it.  I mean, really, how does compelling someone to apologize make anything better?  It will only exacerbate raw, resentful feelings on top of the original hurt.  As with everything else, a misdeed (whether yours or someone else’s) is, simply, one more opportunity for meaningful conversation.

​We firmly believe that learning empathy --- how to get along with those people who push – every - stinking - single - one - of - your buttons --- is the foundation for every other learning experience.  Blame and accusations will only lead to anger and retribution. The first step towards personal growth and compassionate communication comes when you are able to comprehend on a deep level that everyone is dealing with some kind of “sh*t” (small or big “stuff” that you may be privy to or not) and that they may not be able to respond in the way you want or expect.
 
Whether you are 6 or 106, your combined life experiences make up the current “You”.  Honor your uniquely, quirky, awesome human-ness by proudly owning it all – the triumphs that were born from the failings, the unintended detours that led to fantastic opportunities, and the unspeakable hurt, inflicted on and by you, which guided you to profound relationships. 
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Our latest Water, Woods, & Wild Wonders adventure brought us to the Massawepie Boy Scout near Tupper Lake this weekend.  Thank you, as always,  to Trish Pielnik, our WWWW coordinator, for connecting all of the dots to make this opportunity possible for our kids.  A shout of gratitude to Mark Simon of SUNY Potsdam for arranging the use of cabin at Massawepie.  Our crew had a fantastic time playing in the snow in addition to spending more time together.  We even had the chance to move a stack of wood to thank the camp for allowing us to use the cabin for the night.  We look forward to more extended trips as the academic year comes to a close.