Revisiting Summertime’s Days of Learning
Camp: Not Just for Kids
Summertime can bring up vibrant camp memories. Some memories include the splashing sound of dozens of campers in a community pool. Some memories include the distinct smell of the fire while campers impatiently wait for their marshmallows to be “just right” for s’more assembly. Some memories include the view from a bus window watching the changing landscape pass by on the way to or from camp.
Those times of being together, often with children we did not know before camp, gave us opportunities to get out of our comfort zone; talk to new people; and often learn a new skill in a variety of areas, such as swimming, theater, typing, archery, dance, science, writing, model making, sailing, coding, and drawing.
Although we no longer attend camp, we can benefit from creating a professional version for ourselves with an eye toward taking a break from our workday routine and learning a new skill.
Our Responsibility to Learn
We are called to be the best at whatever we do (Sirach 33:22), and although as professionals, our days are often already full and challenging, devoting time to improving our ability to work not only will benefit us professionally but also spiritually. As noted by researcher Ayesh Perera, our duty is to equip ourselves with expertise and model the artisanship that Christ brought to his work.
Choose With Specificity
Often, there is an area in our professional lives that could use some improvement. However, we usually do not jump at the chance to sign up for the things that are challenging or unfamiliar to us. To lessen the bite, we can take a page out of the past and sign up for “camp” with a friend. Some ideas to consider include:
A half-day Excel class through the local adult school.
A how-to marketing consulting session (check out Gloriam Marketing for ideas).
An online class that features top-of-the-field speakers for professional tips and inspiration.
A consultation with a business certified public accountant (CPA), attorney, or insurance professional to learn concepts, ideas, and tools.
A course in personal presentation style to consider updates to wardrobe, hair, and makeup.
After the instruction, “camp” continues with a shared meal together with your co-camper at either a restaurant especially picked out or food delivered to your home. Here, your time is devoted to sharing what you learned, how it will improve your work, and next steps.
Meeting New People
To engage the concept of meeting new people at camp, consider inviting a member of the Catholic Women in Business Facebook Community to join you in a specific online class. Planning a shared post-course meal can be a fun opportunity to get to know one another and to discuss the instruction both of you participated in. It could evolve into an annual camp experience.
Learning for Professionals
Although the days of formal schooling may have come to a close, as professionals, it is important to establish a curriculum concerning topics that will help us continuously learn and improve. The benefits to remaining open to hands-on training, education, and mentoring have been known for ages, as noted in Proverb 1:7: “Fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
The pursuit of skills-building instruction during our own grown-up version of camp not only provides us with a path to better serve God and others, but it also can be a fun opportunity to create summertime memories.
Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trust and estate law in southern California. She studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, law at Pepperdine, and is currently pursuing a masters in tax law at Georgetown. Linda is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.