The limited time I got to reflect took place in the moments before I splashed my face in the muddy puddles on the way to meals, or in the rare event that the mirrors in the bunk weren't occupied. Granted this Ramah summer begs to be the most memorable, overflowing with wonderful emotions and bound by a cohesive community of young leaders. Yet preserving memories, especially the good ones, requires reflective effort.
Typically it's easy to recall the majestic waterfalls and the politically charged showers of the Maid of the Mist Voyage on the fourth of July, or the combined drive and enthusiasm of a remarkable group of teen-aged leaders as they memorized and organized a very entertaining and expertly executed musical review of their summer, all in Hebrew. These experiences are usually revisited within the circles of those who shared them, as a social comfort, or they're revealed to outer circles of interested family or friends. My case is different.
May it be a blessing, but my involvement in producing these positive memories is challenged by time. Seven days ago I bid farewell to exceptional group of young adults, the likes of which my camp has not seen in a while. In seven days I will then depart from my home for a new year of memories, experiences, conversations and relationships on Kivunim: New Directions, in Israel and beyond. While this has been my plan for a while, and I sit here on my bed, with the floor of my room stacked with clothes, books, allergy medicines and Shabbat-o-grams, I can't help thinking how I must improve my ability to record the events of my life, because even if they're not the most exotic, they each define me and deserve analysis and appreciation.
That said, I invite ye reader to return to this, my log blog, for articulations of stories, reflections, and references to pertinent events in my life. I hope everyone has a safe healthy and content year, and that you take the time, whether it be on Shabbat or a long car ride (under the speed limit of course) to remember what experientially constructs you. What else are we but a unique collection of fragmented moments?
It's time to get ready.
כל טוב
~Ira
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