Why are you here? What brought you to the JVC? How honest and vulnerable do you plan to be with your community? Assignment: Personal History - Sharing Life Maps in Community.
Remembering, Describing, and Telling ourStories
- "life maps" - representations of all or part of the journey of a person's life.
- think less "Rand-McNally" and more treasure map.
- the aim is two-fold: an occasion for remembrance and reflection on our lives; and giving shape to the telling of some part of our own story.
We were given this assignment at the beginning of orientation. I finished mine the first night. It was a puzzle with many different pieces, color coding for emotion, arrows for how one part of my life led me to the next, and blacked out pieces for the part I want to ignore or forget.
At some point during this hail storm of an orientation we were told our community will be what we make it. I decided I wanted to jump in head first and lay it all on the table. We met as a community in the Bill of Rights room. Megan brought tissues. I asked to go first. I used those tissues. Why hold back? I am going to be living with these people for the next year, for my good and for theirs they should understand why certain days are rough for me or why Montana holds a special place in my heart. I lived with people who didn't know and it only pulled us apart and made us hurt each other without knowing what our actions were doing. I also felt that my vulnerability would allow others to embrace the opportunity for them to share who they are.
I respect each person who shared in that room and I appreciate the foundation we formed and will continue to build upon throughout this year.
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