Over the past two and a half weeks, my boss has been gone on a leave of absence. The task to keep the Outdoor Adventure program afloat has been placed on my shoulders. Included in this: overseeing the climbing wall, managing trips, administrative stuff, and teaching classes.
From the beginning of the semester I have been helping with the rock climbing class. Indoor climbing has been the focus as the climbing wall serves as the classroom. Climbing skills have been worked on as well as hard skills like knot tying.
Although I had discussed the class schedule with my boss prior to his departure, I had decided that it was time for the students to be tested. Thus, the Low-Budget Climbing Olympics were formed.
The idea was planted in my head long ago by one of the students in the class. Plus, I found these great “metal” paint swatches at Lowes that needed to be put to use. The night before the Games, I worked diligently to great a gold, silver, and bronze medal for the winners in each event. The kern of a rope was used to hang the medal on compete with a figure-eight on a bite and a double fisherman.
The looks on their faces made every hour spent on planning and creating well worth it. Especially after the medal ceremony when I produced a rope wreath for each to take home.
This whole process highlighted something that I had forgot about myself. I love to create with a purpose. To give of myself. To take something like a paint swatch and discarded rope pieces and give them meaning. And doing all of this with the heartfelt intention of sharing them with others.
