Work Hard, Play Hard

Last night a few of us were up until two in the morning preparing for this morning’s breakfast so coffee was an essential part of starting off the day. After enjoying some delicious breakfast, we headed to our first day at EarthWorks, a nonprofit organization that works towards creating a more sustainable food source through urban farming. We received a tour of the grounds and an extensive lesson on pruning trees. Since none of our group is very familiar with farming, it was a different perspective to put in the work to grow food rather than buy it at the store. While half of us stayed to prune some trees, the rest of our group helped in cleaning up and preparing a small lot and a greenhouse for the upcoming growing season. 

For lunch, we ate in the soup kitchen that is associated with EarthWorks. Many of our group members agreed that there were some uncomfortable feelings because we were being served in a food kitchen rather than being the ones doing the serving. After lunch, the groups headed back to their designated tasks. David stated “I loved getting to finally see EarthWorks and help out. The people are amazing and I have learned so much already. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the week.” We departed EarthWorks in the late afternoon and headed to Belle Isle. At this point, we all began to relive our childhood. All of us walked on the icy lake, played tag, climbed some trees, and hung out on the playground. After about two hours, we ate dinner at Yemen Cafe, a Middle Eastern restaurant. Everyone in the group experienced and enjoyed some new foods. 

Back at the retreat center, we began to reflect on the day. Heather, one of our faculty facilitators, mentioned that she felt a certain grace from seeing all the student’s willingness to be present to situations that had the potential to be uncomfortable for them. We discussed the surprising difficulty that comes along with farming and how we tend to take advantage of our food. It was easily agreed on that the staff at EarthWorks, like all the other people we have encountered, were entertaining, positive, and saw the purpose in their work. Our group also had a conversation about the concept of white privilege and how we have become more aware of it. Often those in need have become a part in the vicious cycle of poverty. Overall, the day was filled with joy, laughter, insight, and new experience.