One thing about me: I iike to keep my BMW nice and
clean inside – it just makes me feel good when I travel around town to
my appointments. But tonight when I got in my car I actually enjoyed
the crumbs, wrappers, and clothes from the weekend. They reminded me of
how much fun I had with my son, Gabe, the last three days.
We just got back from our annual men’s gathering. This
was my 22nd and his 14th – he is sixteen. We have been doing
tthis together since he was three. It is one of our traditions.
The weekend gathering every fall is named after our original location:
Buffalo Gap. We don’t meet there anymore, but the name has stuck. The
last two years we have come together at Camp Round Meadow in Catoctin
Mountain Park, just down the road from Camp David. There were forty men
and boys this year. The weekend is all about connection and
interpersonal support, so there is lots of time for conversation. There
are workshops we run for ourselves, poetry reading, singing, drumming,
storytelling, and, of course, bonfires.
Over the years this community has provided Gabe and I with a community
of support, a place to take our struggles as well as our celebrations,
and most importantly a wealth of men for my son to observe and learn
from other than myself.
So, when I get in my car tomorrow morning and it is less than clean, it
will be a sweet reminder of what a great weekend we had together and
how fortunate we are to have such a great community as a regular part
of our relationship.
friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.
–
Charles Kuralt
