This weekend I had the pleasant opportunity to be in the woods and on the trail with 18 Guilford seniors, my son, and three Guilford colleagues. I looked up "colleague" this morning to see if it actually is the right word to describe my relationship with these three:
colleague
1533, from M.Fr. collègue, from L. collega "partner in office," fromcom- "with" + leg-, stem of legare "to choose." So, "one chosen to work with another."
If "chosen" is indeed part of this descriptive, then, yes, I think by "colleague" I do mean that I have chosen, and hopefully, been chosen, by these three people as partners in a work adventure that we are trying to define. These three are like minded in their passion, humility and cravings for partnership here. They seem willing to "not know" the answers; to be shaped by the questions, and by what the "moment" is calling for from them. It takes courage to lead this way. It takes a comfort level with vulnerability. It calls for risk taking, and the willingness to make shifts that call for new, and sometimes initially awkward postures. So, to be on both the literal and figurative trail with these "colleagues" causes me to feel an amazing sense of gratitude.
Similarly, I feel honored to have walked part of the trail with Guilford seniors on this weekend trip off campus. I am rarely disappointed by Guilford seniors, which means, I am rarely disappointed by what Guilford continues to collectively co-create. I think by that I mean that I see in seniors that this place - Guilford - has taken root somehow, yet again. Aaron Fetrow says it often...that Guilford continues to be Guilford despite administration, budget challenges, shifting politics, etc. It is similar to what Arthur Larrabee, guru of Quaker process, said at opening community meeting a while back: (and this is my paraphrase) -- in whatever dealings you have with each other here, always consider one more entity at the table and in the room - always consider that Guilford College is in the room.
Around the campfires in the NC foothills, it seemed very clear to me that" Guilford College" was there. It was evident in some anxious questioning from students about whether or not Guilford is changing. Where else could this question come from besides a desire to protect and preserve the sacred dharma of the College? Why have countless seniors asked this question through the decades? What do we all want to make sure is not lost? We talk about knowing what IT is - but what is IT? Is it the process that turns naive, wide-eyed, self-focused first year students into inquisitive, tolerant, curious, humble seniors/alumni? Is it actually and subconsciously the deep hope that first year students will have access to the same transformative experiences that they have had in order to access the best, most deeply spiritual parts of themselves? How can upper class people make the shift from thinking that there is an administrative plot to undermine our community of free thinkers, to, taking on the responsibility to be part of the process of making certain that "Guilford" is in the room with every first year and younger student?
That is what I mean by colleague, ah yes! We must all choose each other as partners in this work; this work of figuring out what IT is that we want to protect, preserve and promote that is the heart of this rich academic, intellectual, spiritual, experiential crossroads on these 380 acres of dirt. How do we tell the story to those arriving early, so that they become excellent stewards of the place they have chosen to occupy for four years? And, how do we make sure that each person moving on from this particular plot of dirt knows how precious each of their particular way of preserving the "IT" of this place can continue to be, long after their physical occupation of space here?
Yes, I'm grateful for all my colleagues today who want to keep asking the questions of the community, but mostly of themselves, about their shared responsibility, their part in honoring Guilford in each and every "room."
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