Where do I begin?! And heads up this is not even all of the guys! But, this right here and the photos to follow are a snippet of a group of young men, that call themselves Mighty Men!
Mighty Men is program for high school boys that is provided by an organization known as Opportunity Tribe (Op Tribe). Opportunity Tribe is actually the organization that I work for now, as a full-time employee, but I originally stepped into this Mighty Men journey as a volunteer! And when I started, which was about 3-4 years ago, I was mildly invested and there was one kid in attendance!
There is far more history with myself and Op Tribe, that I may detail in another post, but I have always loved Op Tribe and volunteering for the organization. So, it was an easy yes to helping out with Mighty Men.
And so we started with one guy! Luckily, I had worked in various capacities and volunteered for Op Tribe for many years and there were some guys I had already built relationship with that I invited to come along, a group of guys I call the O.G.’s (original gangsters if you didn’t know haha).
And so the Mighty Men journey, for me at least, began. There were about eight guys specifically, all of them are in the picture above (except for Hector, he was busy this weekend, love you my guy). And what a journey it was in the beginning. I would pick them all up, we would go out to eat, we had a little crew and a lot of adventures, memories I will never forget!
But, as time progressed and I joined Op Tribe as a full-time employee, Mighty Men began to change. And well Mighty Men became what you see in the pictures featured in this post and so much more!
The pictures featured in this post specifically highlight the Mighty Men retreat that was hosted out in Brownwood, Texas. And it was memorable. We started the retreat with no cell phones (which I know the teenage boys loved haha) to making pizzas, demonstrating vulnerability and even a group challenge, it was a packed weekend. Oh and you can add on no sleep (at least for them, I went to bed). Now, a moment ago, but a moment I will treasure.
And so Mighty Men grew from this one student, when I began, to this amazing retreat! But, even more importantly it became what I think can best be highlighted or articulated, in the group challenge I invited the Mighty Men to participate in at the retreat:
Now, may I remind you, this was teenage boys, from all walks of life. I tied a rope to two trees, such that it resembled a clothesline. Then, I gave the boys two basic rules: 1) you cannot touch the rope 2) everybody must remain touching. The challenge seems simple in words but is difficult in practice. When you add about 30 guys, opinions, and ego to the equation, this is where the difficulty appears. It took the guys about 2 hours, but they finished!
So, why did I pick this challenge to demonstrate the nature of Mighty Men and what it is becoming? I picked the rope challenge because of what happened in that two hours. During the two hours, it got cold. We were also behind schedule, missing dinner, and the guys had no help outside of each other.
But you know what happened, they demonstrated community. They demonstrated a culture that works together. No one man was above the other, but they were a group of young men seeking to accomplish a mission and vision. There were some guys who were put in uncomfortable positions but recognized the sacrifice that was necessary for everyone to succeed. They failed multiple times but did not give up. They faced frustration and persevered through. And most importantly, they acted. I think one of the greatest challenges in life, as a human, is the distinction between saying and doing. These guys have talked about the culture they wanted to create. They have talked about the trust they wanted to build amongst each other, the support they wanted to feel, the accomplishments they wanted to achieve. And you know what happened within that challenge, they took the necessary actions to create that environment they wanted.
Could you take a moment to think of that scenario? What kind of culture do we live in today? Is it communal or individualistic? Does American culture prefer convenience or delayed gratification? These guys, these Mighty Men did not choose easy. Was there talk of giving up? Absolutely. Was there frustration amongst one another? Certainly. But do you know what happened in the end? They completed the challenge, together!
What an honor and privilege it is to know these young men and to be a part of this Mighty Men journey. Mighty Men has become and is still becoming a moment in time and journey that I will always cherish. I am honored to share some of this journey with you, the readers! May you find your own version of Mighty Men in your life!
