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by Dan Creely Jr. Reflection Journal for HPE 115-Rock
Climbing
My expectations for this class were no more than that I would spend the first evening learning basic skills and equipment, and that I would spend a large portion of the next day climbing until my arms could not take anymore. What I experienced was much more than that, and it made that class an enlightening experience that I will not soon forget. One of the first things I did when I arrived at the class (which is the same thing that I always do when entering a group situation) was to do an immediate judgement of all the people in the room. I made up my mind right away who I would sit next to and who seemed like they would be weird and who seemed like someone that I would like. These judgements were made almost immediately with total disregard for any information except that which I was able to compile in just a few seconds. I also made judgements on the classroom, the equipment that was sitting out, the music playing on the stereo and the candles that were lit by the window. There were incongruities within this setting that made me wonder what I was in for. Why was Kenny G being played in the classroom, and what did candles have to do with rock climbing? I would soon find out that this course would focus on much more than rock climbing, and in fact climbing had very little to do with the class itself. I have been part of community building exercises before, but none as thorough as this course. From the time the evening began, until I left the climbing facility, I felt myself being challenged both physically and emotionally. The most valuable lesson that I learned in that first evening was that the judgements and labels we imposed on people every day prevent us from some of the most rewarding interpersonal and group experiences. Throughout the evening we were challenged to become a community that trusts each of the members equally. Each of the activities we accomplished made me realize how wrong I was about these people I had labeled when I walked through the classroom door. Working with these people in situations where cooperation and trust were necessary for success forced me to look beyond my presumptions. By the time we got to the activity where the group would lift up an individual and slowly rock him down, I realized that there was more satisfaction in seeing one of the other group members succeed than my own success. This is when I started to feel that we had built a strong sense of community within the group. The next morning became more about my own personal goals working within the group. I would set goals for each climb that I attempted, and the added safety of the harness allowed me to really test the limits of my body. Even if I didn't make it, knowing that I pushed my hardest was a very rewarding experience. When I was watching other people climb, whether I was belaying for them or just observing, it was exciting to see other people accomplish things they said they would never do the night before. I was so excited by the end of the session that I went back that day to the main climbing gym for two more hours in the afternoon. What I found from this class to be the most useful to me in my everyday life was the challenge to drive in my car without the radio on so that I can spend that time reflecting on my experiences. At first it was hard and I did miss the noise in the car, but after a couple of days I found out that I did not miss it at all. In fact, I discovered that the quiet time was extremely valuable. For example, I was driving to work thinking about a proposal I had just written. I went over in my head those things that I had said in the proposal and realized a mistake that I had made. While it was a silly mistake, it would be seen as an act of carelessness and the repercussions might have been extreme. By using this time to think about the events in my daily life I found out that I was more efficient in my work. One of my goals since the class has been to continue to take this reflection time each day to think about my experiences. I realize that the time spent in the car alone is a precious time and I should take advantage of it. I also realized the importance of finding activities that challenge my abilities and give myself a break from my everyday life. I plan to continue to go to the climbing gym as I find that it is a challenge that provides great rewards, even though the physical toll is high. The night before the climbing reminded me how important it is to have an open mind when it comes to people and activities, because there is no way of knowing what positive consequences there might be. And not even trying is worse than trying and not succeeding.
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