This was my second time going to the Tzu Ching Midwest
Retreat. To be honest, I was a little worried about going, because I sometimes
get irrational fears that maybe I won't fit in at camp. I hadn't met other Tzu
Ching in a year. Would anyone remember me? Looking back, it seems like a
childish middle-school-kid way of thinking, but I wouldn't want to miss out on
bonding with anyone. Two and a half days at camp goes by very quickly. As such,
I want to maximize the amount of time I can spend enjoying it with people from
other regions. Of course, everything always turns out okay.
During that Friday night I arrived I was immediately
welcomed by old faces from the Michigan and the local Chicago chapters. There
seems to be an unspoken tradition of clapping to those arriving at the Chicago
headquarters, and this time was no different. After a long road trip, it was
very comforting and relaxing to see all the friendly faces welcoming everyone.
If I had to describe this camp with one word I would use
“fluid”. More experienced Tzu Chi members will speak of dealing with setbacks
as an inherent part of being in Tzu Chi, but from my experience at camp there
didn't seem to be any major issues that could be considered “curve balls”.
Meeting friends, waking up on time, staying awake... I felt it was all easier
now more so than ever before. Even speaking to strangers in Chinatown and doing
a rushed three hour practice for the ceremony on the final day felt relatively
painless.
I think experience accumulated from attending previous camps
helped me get engaged quickly this year. I encourage everyone to attend more
and more retreats. Like most activities in Tzu Chi, attending retreats is not a
one-and-done ordeal. There are always more ideas to learn, more people to meet,
more fun to be had. I am grateful to have had the chance to go this year, and
thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read this reflection.
-Frank Xu
