What does letting go have to do with being a Camerado?
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to just... be? Even when we know better, life has a way of creeping in – with its achievements, targets, and that persistent need to be right. And yet, something shifts when we finally let all that go.
Camerados Campfire...
A mixture of mayhem, merriment and musings for movement folk who run public living rooms.
I recently hosted a Camerados campfire workshop that brought together people from across the world. Most people at the campfire contribute to making a Public Living Room happen in their own communities. People of all ages and with various roles in their communities. On paper, we were a diverse bunch. But when we started to let go, we found ourselves connecting through our essential humanity.
The Camerados principles are simples...
It's ok to be a bit rubbish
Don't fix just be alongside
To be silly is to be human
Mix with folk not like you
We can disagree respectfully
Ask someone who is struggling to help you
I live by these principles and use them in my work and life. But they can be incredibly challenging to practice. Disagree respectfully is one that has tested me recently.
These principles may be simple but lots can get in the way. Professional identities become armour we're afraid to remove. We're so used to defining ourselves by what we do, by our expertise, by our ability to help or fix things. Ego can get in the way and equally a lack of self worth. The desire to achieve and be right can overshadow our ability to just be alongside someone.
This is why letting go can help...
In Public Living Rooms, Camerados create spaces where people can just be human. These spaces work best when we all take off our lanyards, badges, labels, and whatever other hats we wear and agendas we carry.
When we let go – when we drop our defenses and our need to be right – something shifts. We connect differently. We find new ways forward, especially when life is tough. It's like removing a filter we didn't even know was there, allowing us to see each other more clearly, more humanly.
During our workshop, as we moved and played together, these layers naturally fell away. SHOOP® is a way to be vulnerable and build connection without having to share things about your life in words. It wasn't about who had the most experience or who knew the most. It was about being present, being open, trying new things, making things happen together.
"I had forgotten the joy of just playing" one participant reflected. "As adults, we rarely give ourselves that permission." Another noted how their anxiety simply disappeared as the session progressed. It's fascinating how being "weird" together can feel so right.
What struck me most was how the energy in the room transformed. As openness bred more openness, ideas grew bigger, conversations flowed more freely, and smiles multiplied. We weren't just dancing – we were discovering what happens when we let go of our need to look like anything other than ourselves.
Courage to do things differently...
And isn't this what social change work needs more of? The courage to do things differently, to let go of what we think we know, and to truly see what's right in front of us. SHOOP® became a great leveller – anyone could do it, everyone could contribute their way.
Sometimes, transformation doesn't come from careful planning and control. Sometimes, it comes from creating spaces where people can just be – where they can be a bit rubbish, be alongside others unlike themselves, and remember that being human means embracing both the serious and the silly.
We often calculate the risks of action, but as one participant wisely noted, "We don't calculate the risk of doing nothing." Perhaps the risk of staying in our comfort zones, of not letting go, is far greater than the risk of looking a bit foolish while trying something new.
Which of the Camerados principles move you?
