Spring Thing

Spring Thing, originally uploaded by sulustumoses.

Recently I've discussed the social phenomenon created by the Facebook generation. People from the many scattered memories of my life emerge from the woodwork with a desire to re-forge old connections.

Well, the phenomenon continues to unfold.

Within the last few months, I've begun to re-connect with a group of friends from the late 90s and early 2000s. We were bound by a common experience in a personal growth training known as Spectrum. At the time, I was very passionate about my experience because the training opened many layers of individual awareness and gave me a sense of connection to my life purpose. For several years, I traveled regularly to Boise to attend community gatherings or to staff other training sessions.

Sadly, Spectrum went out of business some time after 2003 and my connection to that community faded.

But as my Spectrum friends begin to reappear, I've made a special connection with Sheli Yerkes Gartman. Our brief chats online progressed into lengthy telephone conversations that always seemed to begin with the phrase, "What if..."

What if the community we created never really died?

What if the work we started all those years ago continues?

What if we created new community experiences?

This level of questioning progressed quickly into a set of concrete plans to create something of a reunion workshop for Spectrum grads and others who had done similar work. We didn't really know what to call it, but we were clear about our intention to create an opening for the work to continue.

Thus was born the "Spring Thing" Workshop.

Last Sunday, I flew to Boise where Sheli and I facilitated the workshop. In all, 30 people attended to share a common experience and to begin opening possibilities for future events.

What a wonderful feeling to share that space with old and new friends!