Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation

As I look into a dictionary to find the word light, I read that light is that which makes it possible to see. On first inspection this definition seems simple enough. I begin to think about my experiences camping and how ...

As I look into a dictionary to find the word light, I read that light is that which makes it possible to see. On first inspection this definition seems simple enough. I begin to think about my experiences camping and how a flashlight is invaluable when attempting to play an engaging game of gin rummy with my brother, Larry, after the sun has gone down. I also remember when that same flashlight is pointed directly at my eyes, that light makes it impossible for me to see. I conclude then that the value of light is dependent on how it is used. Light is not inherently helpful; rather, it is the way it is applied that transforms it into something useful. I am reminded of the story of the man looking for his keys. A woman is walking down a street when she sees a man on his hands and knees searching through his front lawn. The woman stops and asks the man what he is doing. The man stops his search, looks up and while shield- ing his eyes from the bright sun he explains to the woman that he has lost his keys. The woman watches the man who continues to intently search through the grass. She then asks the man where he last saw his keys. The man stops and, once again, shields his eyes from the light as he further explains to the woman that he last saw his keys in his kitchen. Puzzled, the woman asks the man why he is looking for his keys in his front yard when he last saw his keys in the kitchen. The man replies that the light is much better out here. So, light alone does not do us much good unless we know how to use it. Information has many similarities to light in that information is not inherently useful but when effectively applied, information becomes useful. When professionals acquire information and use it in an effective manner, these individuals are said to be enlightened. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to describe how therapeutic recreation (TR) specialists can become more enlightened so that we can enlighten individuals who participate in our programs. The message “to become enlightened so that we may enlighten” is divided into the following three sections: become, enlightened, and enlighten. Become Returning to the dictionary, the word become is defined as to undergo change or development. If we are to become enlightened we must be willing to change. Henry David Thoreau’s words are relevant here, “Things do not change, we do.” If TR specialists want to become enlightened, we must be willing to make changes in the manner in which we deliver services. Returning to the analogy of “light,” I reflect on my belief that light can help us find our way if, at times, we are willing to change. A story about my oldest son, David, perhaps will illustrate this belief. When David turned one year, he began attending a playgroup that met for a few hours each week on campus. Each day when he and I departed in the car we drove out of the driveway of our home and turned onto the road, and we were headed directly into the sun. As the sun shone brightly into his eyes he began to cry. We then approached an intersection and turned; the sun no longer shown into his eyes and David was once more content. However, each time we turned into the sun he cried until the next turn. Needless to say, on those stretches when we were driving into the sun, my foot was a bit heavier on the gas pedal. I tried several approaches to remedy this situation, from giving David sunglasses to tinting the car windows, but nothing we did seemed to make a difference. Then, one day, I pulled out of the driveway and onto the street and . . . and . . . nothing! I was facing forward in my typical cringed position and I did not hear any cry- ing. Quickly I turned to see what had happened, and there was little David smiling broadly while covering his eyes with his hands. Finally, David had learned to change his behavior; by covering his eyes he solved the problem. To become something requires that an individual undergo change or development. Development implies growth and a movement forward. TR specialists must be willing to change and develop so that we can become enlightened. Enlightened When people are enlightened, they experience freedom from ignorance and misin- formation. As TR specialists are aware, freedom is a fundamental aspect of the leisure experience. What appears most important in regards to freedom is the perception by individuals that they are free. The French novelist, Antoine de Saint-Exupery once wrote that: “I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.” Freedom of the mind equates to freedom from ignorance. Contained in his influential book The Rights of Man, the American political philosopher Thomas Payne wrote that “Ignorance is of a peculiar nature; once dispelled,