Local 1171 Sister Wendy Domster Leads Young Adult Summit 2000

(Story by Christie "Cupcake" Peterson, a veteran volunteer)

    Not one single word or sentence can describe what we shared as a group or what I experienced during the three day retreat. The camp was held on the breathtaking bluffs of Cambria overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The scenery was beautiful, the crashing of waves, barking of sea lions, wind blowing through the trees, raindrops, the full moon - I loved it!

    The Summit began with ringing of the bells, an opening ceremony by Wendy "Big Trees" Domster, of which she explained that this would be a weekend to shed our armor or outer shells, to trust and grow, to learn, share, and open up to new ideas and feelings. The four major discussion topics were: career, education, interpersonal skills and relationships. We accomplished this through role-playing, games, lectures and group interaction.

    On Sunday we went to the beach. We built a tower out of driftwood, we raced the crashing waves, went shell and rock hunting, made a seesaw, and drew pictures in the sand. Several hours later, we were told that the wind and rain was going to be fierce. We moved all our stuff from smaller cabins into the main lodge. It was a good thing too, because the next morning we found one of the cabins (the one I slept in the previous night) was smashed flat by a large sequoia tree which had blown over in the middle of the night.

    On our last evening together we had an "open mic" session for those who wanted to tell their burn-injury story. This was a very emotional and heartfelt time. The group listened wholeheartedly and showed a tremendous amount of respect and care. After the last person spoke, we joined hands and thanked others for something special they did during the weekend. Following more tears and laughter, we closed with a wonderful "GROUP HUG."

    Before I knew it, it was time to leave. Closing ceremonies left me in awe of the knowledge and strength everyone in the group gained by participating. It wasn't until then we all realized each of us had shed our armor and felt good abut creating anew. After going on an egg hunt and cracking them open, we each found a special message inside. Individually we read our message out loud, then left our shell on the ground and walked through a doorway over the threshold into our "new" landscapes. It was very powerful stuff.

    Following this grand finale, good-byes were said and we ventured off for the journey home. Home, with our new-found knowledge. Words to put into action and to be strong with who we are and for those we had met for the first time.

(Excerpted from AARBF Newsbrief, Spring '00)

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04/01/04