This weekend’s three-day retreat at Asilomar left me talked out. Good people, important topics, interesting things to think about. Yet, three days of being careful, intentional, moderate, deliberate, and speaking only for myself is exhausting. Being around the same 9 people for three days is hard on my only-child sensibilities, too.
Fortunately Geoff, fuzzygruf, and David were at Harvey’s yesterday evening. I appreciated the opportunity to speak, bitch, snort, and scratch without monitoring for process violations.
Asilomar must have been spectacular when it was built in the early 1900’s. The Monterrey dunes and shore are perfectly windswept and made magical by blowing fog. The conference center is well laid out.
Unfortunately, the center is now part of the California State Parks and its been allowed to grow too big. Lots of people on pathways. Lots of people on the nearby beach and paths. At 7:30 Sunday morning, one stretch of beach during my morning loner walk had 23 people in view. Lots of families having reunions with cute, normally energetic children screaming in happy circles.
The catering was awful, food uneven, and the conference management bipolar.
Still, the buildings make a fine facility for a retreat. The Search Committee for a new minister for my church accomplished its agenda and is well launched.
I’ve always wanted to see Asilomar. It was the site of many early square dance gatherings, including (I believe) the meetings that led up to what eventually became CallerLab. I have old 1950s Sets in Order magazines promoting Asilomar.