The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of it's Parts By Tory McBrien
5 days and 4 nights in the Adirondacks with 5 strangers who turned out to be birds of a feather. Each of us powerhouses in our own lives—taking on the weight of the world’s problems, pushing for positive change and shouldering responsibilities so others don’t have to. We thought we were getting away—escaping the grind for a fun trip on the water in the beautiful autumn mountains. But we didn’t leave it all behind—as we are, we took it there with us, and aired it all out. We cracked open the heavy containers of what we carry and laid it out in each other’s presence—we looked at it all and found common experience. Helping each other sort through it and make sense of our burdens, sharing thoughts and sharing the load.
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| Me, Victoria, Amy gunnelled up for lunch |
And what did I bring? The thick armor that I wear as I charge through life on my gut feelings—packing light to stay nimble. Moving quickly is my tried and true method for outrunning burdens. Staying one step ahead of my problems is the coping strategy I rely on when my ambitions get too big for one person.
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| First morning on Lake Eaton |
Typically, when a group wants to do something and I don’t—I cut out on my own. I go my own way, I do my own thing. I follow my gut and find peace in control, in making my own choices. That’s not possible in a two-person canoe—the decision was made and I was left with a feeling of vulnerability and dread, thoughts of how bad tomorrow would be, forced to surrender to trust in my guides and the group.
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| Liza guiding us on how to navigate the next portion of the river |
In the morning—we set out. I put on every layer I had and I knew I would still be cold—I had packed light. Lucky for me, I was in the company of those with different skills and abilities than myself. This is a group with the skill of preparedness and a steady habit of taking care of others. It snowed hard that morning and it rained gear on me—hand warmers, gloves, waterproof socks—these moms did what they know needs to be done—they brought extras.
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| Heading out in the sleet on that final morning |
Was I warm and comfortable on the 3 hour paddle in the snow? No. But it was beautiful, and it was thrilling. I finally got the hang of steering in the back seat of the boat. I found a groove with my partner. The silent boat—both of us in the zone, flowing in rhythm. We sacrificed comfort of our bodies to the hard physical task in exchange for an opening up-- clarity of the mind—the fall colors became brighter, the snow on the water in sharp focus, blood pumping into my hands—movement is warmth.
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| Singing Christmas Carols while paddling through the snow |
What became clear is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This group of individuals—so much in common, but so much different. Sleeping side-by-side in a lean-to leaves no place to hide our differences. They’re out in the open—and we’re pushed and forced to accept each other. As we are, with our strengths and our weaknesses. Where we struggle, we pour into each other, we receive and we give and we end up places we can’t get to alone.
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| Trail name - Monk |
The guides and founding staff at Outside Perspectives know this. They’ve carried this wisdom into the model of fundraising for Paddle for a Purpose. One-way philanthropy without an exchange is a missed opportunity. Fundraising for this trip was generative, not transactional. It never felt like “I’ll do this work/pay this money and I will receive a guided expedition,” it was always exponential growth through partnership. I received more than I could’ve imagined through participating in the fundraising, and OP is receiving funds to continue their work, and now also a lifelong supporter.
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