Learning from Monsoon Season in Arizona
The monsoon rains were coming down hard as the vehicle rumbled up the muddy mountain road to the RidgeWalker’s post. The typical routine for the Shadows (therapists at the ANASAZI Foundation) is to immediately tumble out of the vehicle, stretch our legs from the 3-4 hour road trip, then make final preparations to go down into the bands to sit with YoungWalkers. On this particular morning we parked the vehicle and nobody moved. Monsoon Season in Arizona Monsoon rains are often intense but brief and we hoped that this one would subside as we finished eating breakfast and reading the last few letters from parents. The rain pounding on the vehicle was so loud that we had to shout if we wanted to speak. It soon became clear that the storm was going to outlast us, so I donned my poncho and headed down to the BadgerStone boys band. I…
Walking in Circles
BOOTPRINTS IN THE MUD I work at ANASAZI Foundation, a wilderness therapy program for at-risk youth. As part of my work, I make frequent visits to the trail to counsel with the YoungWalkers. On a cloudy, moonless winter night, I was making my way back to a vehicle after a full day of good work out on the trail. We had received a little rain during the day, which explained the thick mist and the muddy clay that clung to my boots. The mist and the mud made me particularly grateful for the light from my headlamp. I had some trouble finding the path that would lead me where I wanted to go, but I knew that there were others who had likely traveled that path so I continued to survey the soft ground for the prints of their boots. I began to doubt myself and wonder if I should just follow…