The first Samson Society National Retreat I attended was during the fall of 2017 (I believe it was the first weekend of November). The venue was a Tennessee state park smack dab in the middle of the Volunteer State. The weather was perfect that weekend. I vividly recall the fall foliage being spectacular.
The (earlier in 2017) email invitation which touted this retreat described it initially as a Samson Society meeting facilitators' retreat. And it's important to note that back then, there were no virtual Samson Society meetings. Every meeting across the country was face-to-face.
As the date for this 2017 retreat loomed closer, the description of said retreat changed. What started out as a Samson facilitators' retreat morphed into a Samson Society retreat (come one, come all).
I recall my Silas and I (who'd already signed up for the retreat) being disappointed therein. For we were both fledglings facilitating face-to-face meetings at our respective church homes.
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One week prior to our departure, there were three of us Jackson, MS Samson guys signed up to go (the plan was to carpool in one man's SUV), but at the very last minute, my Silas convinced one other longstanding / tenured Jackson, Mississippi Samson man to come too. At this time, this man was having tremendous difficulties relative to his recovery, therefore my Silas, being the sympathetic man he was, felt compelled to pressure him to take this step / deep dive (as a last resort).
This upended my plans to spend some quality time with my Silas during said 2017 retreat, and frankly, that greatly disappointed me. For this fourth man would now be(come) the focus throughout the weekend. I realize that sounds petty, but I honestly felt as if I was dealt an unfair hand regarding.
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The Tennessee state park where the retreat was hosted had a motel attached to it. Hence, these were our accommodations. Overall, from what I recall, there were around 50 - 75 Samson guys at this retreat, and those who'd come some distance (as we had) stayed on site two-men to a motel room.
I begrudgingly agreed to room with our Samson retreat straggler in lieu of my Silas. And it was this lodging arrangement where the problems for me were centered.
This struggling Samson guy (fourth man) was an expat from Central America. He'd lived in Mississippi most of his life but had family and numerous mistresses back in his native land. In anticipation of his scheduled return to his home country (not long after this retreat). he was in the throes of sexting these mistresses in anticipation of his homecoming.
I was privy to all this due to me inquiring as to why he was constantly using his pocket computer while we were there together (& otherwise) within our assigned motel room.
I vividly recall wanting to vomit numerous times throughout the weekend as I worked hard to ignore his shenanigans.
Keep in mind that my wife and I had dined with he and his wife 3-6 months prior to this retreat (they were 8-10 years older than us), therefore we'd had the opportunity to get to know his native Mississippi bride then (he was estranged from their grown children due to his serial adultery).
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As you can imagine, I had to make the best of a really horrible situation. As such, it tainted my outlook / turned the tables on my hopes for this initial National Samson Retreat experience. It's important to note that I hardly even spoke to my Silas throughout this weekend (I was extremely pissed at him).
Like every Samson National Retreat I've attended, this 2017 retreat was no different in that it consisted of loads of free time. Hence, due to my motel roommate's ongoing wretched behavior, I made a point to find any feasible excuse to vacate our shared space.
One benefit of this venue (Tennessee State Park) was its proximity to a public golf course (right across the highway). I recall heading over there numerous times to run the golf cart paths (thanks be to God I brought my running shoes). Again, the weather was absolutely perfect for being out of doors during this particular weekend.
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After this 2017 retreat concluded, none of the other three Samson men attended another Samson National Retreat (except one guy in 2021 but only because he was asked to lead a workshop).
Yet, I soldiered on by attending in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2022.
Why?
In 2018, the venue changed (Methodist Retreat Center in Eva, TN), and that really was the deciding factor in motivating me to attend once again. Two, I knew I'd not be a newbie going forward. And three, our Jackson, Mississippi expat Samson colleague vanished immediately following the 2017 retreat.
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Many of you have had less than ideal Samson National Retreat experiences, and as such, refuse to even consider a return.
That being the case, please know that EVERY SAMSON SOCIETY NATIONAL RETREAT WHICH SUCCEEDED THE 2017 WAS FAR MORE ENJOYABLE FOR ROB.
Give yourself credit where credit's due. If you're like me, you made the initial attempt. That says a lot. But if your initial retreat experience didn't live up to your expectations, don't allow that to give you credence to write off future opportunities. So many variables exist that are completely out of our control regarding these weekends. Be open-minded. Take another step forward, and please join us at the 2023 Samson Society National Retreat in Van, Texas (brand new venue!). Who knows, this year's retreat may be an absolutely life-changing experience for you.
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