The journey to Cheltenham began on a Friday afternoon with a long wait in traffic, not the most ideal situation when desperate for the loo but despite this there was much joy and laughter I think this was driven by the feelings of excitement about going to Greenbelt for the first time. I had no idea what to expect and what sort of stuff would be happening, all I knew was that I was going to be part of the Salesian group, that in itself was something I was looking forward to.
Once there and very kindly greeted with our wristbands (thanks James), it was time to set up our tent and have some wonderfully cooked pasta together as a group. This gave me the chance to meet people in the group who I didn’t know, but also to be reunited with friends who I hadn’t seen in a while. It was hugs and laughter all round. A real Salesian gathering. Over dinner we discussed the session that we would participate in and established our roles. The voice of God in Scottish is something I don’t think I’ll ever live down after the microphone issues but my passion for “playing God” just took over. The Burning bush story was the analogy that was very well planned and prepared and within the story came the theme of dreaming of a better world. In the session other festival goers had the chance to come and see and hear about the Salesian vision and dream as well as take part in an activity which encouraged them to think about their dreams and hopes. This session was one of many which provided me with much food for thought as I was able to listen to the dreams of the group and feel very inspired by many.
I guess its fair to say that I brought the Scottish weather along with me however this didn’t make one bit of a difference to the festival morale, as everywhere I looked people were beaming with joy, really embracing the experience. It was fantastic, especially singing hymns in the rain.
With the rain came showers of fantastic experiences, from very moving talks about forgiveness to powerful meditative story telling. There was just so much on offer and lots of wonderful things to take part in – each day was jam packed with lots of talks, workshops and really good music. It was great meeting up with everyone at dinner and discussing what you had been to that day and being able to share your experiences and listen to what other people had done.
The Sunday morning brought mass and this was something we went to as a group. This was really special as we got to make paper chains and that really affirmed our presence there as the Salesain group. After mass came a very amazing performance by a gospel choir – the singing and dancing was incredible especially from front row view.
My experience of Greenbelt was moment after moment of happiness and fun. I loved being part of the Salesian group and it was great to meet lots of truly wonderful people. Undoubtedly it will help encourage me to “Live the dream”. I’m already on the look out for a water proof tent for Greenbelt 2012.
