As a child, the place that I felt most like I belonged, where I could be myself, was at Girl Scout Camp. Camp Little Notch, located in the Adirondacks, was my second home for eight years. I was so disappointed when I was old enough to be a C.I.T. at the camp and I wasn't able to because C.I.T.s had to pay to be at camp, and I needed to stay home and earn money for college. I had hoped to return to work as a counselor, but apparently it wasn't meant to be. I did work for 8 years at CLN's sister daycamp, Camp Is-Sho-Da, where I again found a place where I could just be me, but my heart was always tied to CLN. When ever I participate in those visualization relaxation activities, Green Cathedrals at CLN is the place I picture. A few years ago, the same day that I was laid off from working at the Girl Scouts, the council announced that they were closing Little Notch for "renovations." Somehow I knew that the camp wouldn't be reopened, and I was more upset about that than losing my part-time job. Sure enough, eventually the announcement came that the camp would be sold. A group of people who love the camp as much as I do banded together and formed "The Friends of Camp Little Notch," an organization to save the camp and restore it to being used for programs. Perhaps one day I will be able to sit at Green Cathedrals again and share it with my family.
When I went to college, I again looked for people with whom I could be myself, where I felt that I fit in. I found this in a wonderful group of women in the Phi Sigma sorority. I never expected to join a sorority...I considered myself fiercely independent, not much of a partier, although I did enjoy a good party now and then, and I certainly didn't feel that someone who put me through hazing could suddenly become my "sister." The Sisters of Phi Sigma shared my beliefs, welcomed diversity and had a strong sense of community and philanthropy. As part of the Epsilon pledge class, we were the last class before the sorority became the Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Delta Tau. After leaving Plattsburgh State I eventually lost track of most of my sisters, but the wonders of social media have reunited us.
As an adult, I still had a need to belong somewhere. Growing up, my family wasn't really deeply religious--at one point my parents had considered joining the Lutheran Church, but declined when the pastor told them I would go to hell if I died because I hadn't been baptized. My family didn't believe that God would do that to a five year old child, so we didn't frequent that church much after that. My grandparents attended a Seventh Day Adventist Church, and I would go with them. The people at the church were very nice, but they spent a lot of time talking about converting people in "third world" countries. I never understood why people who were perfectly happy in their own beliefs needed to be converted. As a teenager I began to believe that there is "someone" who hears our prayers, but that we all may have a different name for that higher power. I began to consider myself spiritual, but not religious. I hadn't found a religion that I could embrace, because every religion I looked at seemed to believe that their way was the only way to heaven. I also had issues with most organized religions' views of marriage equality. In fact, it was while I was looking for a church that supported marriage equality--as an entire religion, I know that there are many individual churches that support marriage equality--that I found Unitarian Universalism. A friend and I attended a Solstice Service together and I was intrigued. I began attending services at the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady and found myself connecting with the people. I found them to be a welcoming, inclusive congregation with a focus on social justice. As a social worker, I felt right at home.
We all need a place where we belong. Sometimes we need to search to find it, but we eventually will.
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