April gave Ruth hearty applause. The rest of us joined in. We had all glossed over our issues, presenting them tidily so as not to come off as too broken. Ruth, on the other hand, had confided her darkest secrets to a roomful of strangers with her head held high. She wasn’t perfect, but she was brave.
Ruth inclined her head. “You’ll all get here, trust me. It helps when you have to air your dirty laundry in front of a new class every couple weeks.” We laughed. “Now that we know a little about each other, I’d like to tell you more about Wisewood.” She stood, smoothing the wrinkles in her capris. “So, what is Wisewood? Why are we here?” She steepled her fingers. “Our mission is to help our students eliminate their fears.” She was speaking slowly now, giving every word equal weight. “By eliminating fears, we believe you can become a more fulfilled and joyful version of yourself. We call this state the Maximized Self.”
She pursed her lips. “We’ll spend the first week of class identifying what your Maximized Self looks like. The answer will differ for each of you, but we’ll work together to figure out what those answers are. Before we get to work, I need to walk you through Wisewood’s rules.”
April was leaning so far forward I thought she might fall out of her chair. Georgina sat back with her arms and legs crossed, ankle resting on knee.
“Since we’re all about inward focus at Wisewood, we like to eliminate potential distractions. Rather than think of our rules as restrictions, we consider them freedoms. Instead of saying No drinking or smoking, for example, we say we’re a campus free of drugs. When you’re free of drugs, you can focus on the work that will help you reach your Maximized Self. Some of our guests are recovering addicts, so we have a zero-tolerance policy with this rule.” The woman next to Ruth nodded seriously.
“We’re also free of electronics and media. I think the reason is pretty self-explanatory. Once guests understand the benefits, most are happy to turn off their phones for six months.”
“Amen,” said April.
Ruth peered at her. April flushed. “We’re also passionate about our encouragement of abstinence. It’s pretty hard to focus on yourself when you’re thinking about someone else’s body.” Georgina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “That’s why we don’t allow couples to join Wisewood.
“In that same spirit, we discourage kissing, hugging, and touching—for staff too—even in platonic cases. Some retreats forbid smiling, saying hello, and looking at one another, but we find these rules too drastic for our own community. Because we are nurturing a community here.” Ruth locked eyes with me, making my chest flutter. “We want you to help each other work the path, but we want to emphasize relationship with self over others. Make sense?”
We nodded. Ruth beamed. “Let’s move on to my favorite rule: ladies, we get to be free of makeup. Makeup was invented to create fear in women—that our blemishes need to be hidden, that our features require improvement. We disagree. We value you as you were born and hope you won’t waste a single moment of your time here worrying about society’s impossible beauty standards. Take care of basic personal hygiene, but other than that don’t concern yourself with styling your hair or wearing jewelry or perfume.” Ruth eyed Georgina. “Consider us your excuse not to worry about shaving for six months.”
April wrinkled her nose but caught herself before Ruth noticed.
“The last topic I want to address is responsibilities. We’re able to keep the program fees so low by asking our guests to chip in with Wisewood’s upkeep. I hope it’s obvious that Wisewood’s primary goal is not to turn a profit. Teacher regularly donates program spaces to women’s refuges and emergency shelters, helping those who have fallen on hard times to get back on their feet.” Ruth glanced at a bulletin board filled with photos of grinning people.
She turned back to us. “We find most of our guests are desperate to give back somehow. Chores take a couple of hours each day, and this exchange of labor for self-improvement gets everyone even more invested in Wisewood’s cause. All we ask is that you show up on time and do a good job. Remember too that we count on our guests to self-police the community. Believe me when I say they always do.”
Ruth returned to her seat, recrossed her ankles. “It’s a lot to remember, I know, but you’ll get the hang of it.” She winked. “Next week will be your first one-on-ones with Teacher. She’ll expect you to have the rules down pat by then.” People started shifting in their chairs—excited, nervous, both. Ruth checked her watch. “That’s all the time we have for today. Save your questions for tomorrow.”