Bass Canyon Campout Journal
Saturday, August 1st, 2026 – The Tribe
Somewhere during Saturday, I realized something.
This wasn't my camp anymore.
It belonged to the tribe.
We played Cornhole.
I didn't create the fun.
People did.
We cooked two giant Dutch ovens full of potatoes so we could break bread together.
Nels contributed rhythm, bringing dozens of drums, along with his insight, leadership, and humor.
Carl contributed movement, embodiment, and sound, building beautifully on what Nels had begun.
And then...
Sacred Theater.
I contributed the container.
Everyone else filled it.
Jennie contributed challenge to the men.
Amethyst contributed beauty through dance.
Porter contributed vulnerability.
Tom contributed the deep vibration of Ohm, inviting all of us into meditation.
Jim contributed honesty and letting go.
Chrystal gave us a window into her heart.
Dave plucked at our emotions with a simple piano song.
I even had the chance to share the story of the two tiny kittens I found at the dump.
And so many more gave...
Gifted...
Contributed...
Can you see what's happening?
No one is the star.
Everyone became indispensable.
Maybe even more importantly...
Everyone was aiming up.
Some offerings landed more deeply than others.
Some people were nervous.
Some had practiced for weeks.
Others simply stood up and spoke from the heart.
None of that mattered.
What mattered was that every person was reaching toward something a little higher than where they had started.
And together...
That lifted all of us.
And EVERYONE contributed attention, honoring each gift with their breath and awareness.
"Is it your turn?"
If it's your turn...
You get the room.
That's what Sacred Theater is.
The room belongs to whoever is standing in the middle.
Everyone else has one simple job.
To witness.
That's basic respect.
After Sacred Theater, I bounced from person to person, circulating life.
Checking.
Connecting.
Listening.
Introducing.
Encouraging.
I didn't need the attention.
I gave the attention.
Watching conversations deepen.
Watching strangers become friends.
Watching a tribe become a tribe.
Somewhere during Saturday...
It stopped being my story.
It became the tribe's story.
This is what we made together.