I'm feeling a bit introspective today. I don't know if it's the weather (gray and rainy) ,or the fact that I went to a training on worldview, culturally appropriate intervention strategies, and multicultural organizations this morning, or because it's week 2 of a new school year (my last in the master's program) and I'm already tired. In any case, I've decided that training for a marathon has some similarities to becoming a social worker. Here is what I've come up with so far:
1) It's all about the support. This morning during the workshop, we spent a lot of time building group norms and establishing a connection in the group, so that by the midpoint of the workshop, we were supporting each other and we could tolerate ambiguity a lot more than we could at the beginning of the process. We deviated from the agenda a little because someone brought up a point worthy of exploring further, but it was clear that supporting that person was important to the whole group. Certainly, social work is a tough field made much easier through the support of colleagues and mentors. We work with clients and communities to empower them to make change, to reach a particular goal. We work on the issues that need attention right now, issues that other people don't want to (or don't know how to) touch.
Running a marathon with a team is definitely ALL about the support. Check out my previous post about the GWB run and my big wipeout and you'll see what I mean. I've told so many people that I would never be able to train on my own, to make it through the long runs on my own, or to stay motivated. Team for Kids members have such great connection. I don't know everybody, but we're all in this together all the way to November 5. We can talk about our successes, our aches and pains, our favorite gatorade flavors, the mental battle to make it through the last two miles of an 18 mile run, etc. It's all about the support!
2) It's all about possibility. If I didn't believe in possibility, I would have a hard time being the kind of social worker I want to be. My vocation is to organize for social change and social justice. In less than a year, I'll have an MSW after my name, and I'll be working with people who may not believe in possibility as much as I do. I'm always surprised and saddened to meet social workers in the field who have become cynical and jaded after practicing for a few years. I don't want to be like that. I chose this field because it's such a great platform from which to make change, but I'm not going to get very far if I don't continue to believe that large-scale, systematic change is possible.
But I'm lucky-- my belief in possibility has been reaffirmed through marathon training as I test my body and mind every week. I never would've thought that an 11-mile run would be a short distance, or that I would be able to run over a bridge to another state several hours into my run! Part of me still can't believe I'm capable of these things, but there you have it. Possibility. And the kids we're supporting through our fundraising efforts--THEY embody possibility. It's overwhelming, really, to think that our work is giving them opportunities that they would not have otherwise, and they can turn around and do the same for the next group of kids. (until, hopefully, we get to the root of the problem and these programs aren't necessary anymore, but that's a conversation for another day)
3). It's all about patience. I'm the first to admit that I am not a patient person. However, social work requires patience because change takes time. Clinicians and clients are engaged in what could be long processes, and policymakers may have to stick it out in the trenches before the perfect moment for change on a macro level can happen. As I've been training for the marathon, I've found that I have great days, ok days, and crappy days. I have to fight with myself to hang on through the crappy days, but that usually means that an ok day (or even a great day) is not too far away. Patience. I'm still working on it, as a runner in training and as a social worker in training.
Consider this a list in progress. There is no doubt that something is happening to my worldview as a result of this marathon training process. I'm not sure what the lasting impact will be--I can't articulate it just yet--but on November 6th, (the day after the marathon) I'll be a different person.
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