One hot summer’s weekend in mid-August, I was fortunate enough to attend the CSSC leadership retreat in Napa, CA. Hailing all the way from San Diego, I crossed my fingers that the long journey up would be worth it… it was.
Immediately upon entering the room, I felt the sense of community that I have come to associate with CSSC gatherings. Some faces I knew, most I did not, but I was greeted with fifteen beautiful smiles either way.
The sessions reminded me just how inspiring every person in the room was. Hearing the accomplishments and hopes from everyone brought joy to me, and I was filled with awe that such young people could have such big hearts and be filled with so much love.
The most exciting session to me was the one in which we learned about Power Vote and Prop 23, because its time sensitive nature called us to action. Coming up with strategies and practicing class raps gave me hope that we could make a difference through the constant process of learning and educating. “We are students of life,” various people repeated throughout these sessions, and I could not agree more.
As much love as I had for the sessions, the retreat would not have been the same without the quiet in-between moments; the laughter at the dinner table, the frustration at trying to put an impossible animal puzzle together, the understanding and acceptance of every flaw and quirk that each individual had.
On our last night together, my heart felt at peace listening to everyone’s wishes and hopes for the future as we toasted each other at the dinner table. Although humbleness is important, it is also important to give respect where respect is due, and I have endless amounts for everyone I met. As we sat around a campfire afterward and shared our strengths and weaknesses, I cherished the vulnerability and honesty that was put forth; it is not an easy thing to do, and I appreciated the willingness of the group to give bits of ourselves to each other.
As diverse as we are, what I realized about all of us is that we are dreamers. As daunting as the work to remedy the world may seem, people like this remind me that it can be done by working as one and keeping heart. As John Lennon sang in one of the anthems for peace, “You may say I’m a dreamer… but I’m not the only one.” My wish to you all is that all of your wishes come true and that you never stop dreaming.
“As daunting as the work to remedy the world may seem, people like this remind me that it can be done by working as one and keeping heart.”
Nothing can be more beautiful and true than this. If nothing else, we are here to build community.