ChatGPT Isn’t Always Bad
by Chelsea MacDonald
All of the clinicians and staff at Chosen Path Collective recently filled out a survey to gather information about their favorite things. Drinks, foods, hobbies, colors, activities to do with each other, and organizations they support. For fun, I put all of their responses into chatGPTand asked it to create a dream work party based on everyone’s answers. Below is the result (I think it’s pretty spot on and definitely maybe almost made me feel a bit teary – the kind of teary feeling you get when you feel happy). I know that everyone has their own complicated relationship with AI, but I’m ok with this.
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It all begins on a cool fall evening in Pittsburgh, the kind where the air feels light and everyone actually wants to be outside. The team gathers at a rented pavilion in a big park – lanterns hanging from trees, tables covered in greens, purples, pinks, and soft yellows. Someone joked that the color palette looked like “Chosen Path Collective in the wild,” and somehow it worked perfectly.
Music floats through the air – a chaotic but perfect playlist blending Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, indie girlies, EDM bangers, folk (for the feelings), and a little bit of 90s/00s nostalgia. Every once in a while someone yells “THIS IS MY SONG” and runs toward the speaker.
A long food table stretches across the pavilion like an altar to everyone’s cravings:
Pizza, tacos, Thai food, mac n cheese, noodle dishes, fries, fancy tiny-portion appetizers for Blake
Almond croissants, brownies, cookies of every kind, chocolate-on-chocolate-on-chocolate
Dairy-free options, halal-friendly options, pescatarian options, gluten-aware options — because somehow CPC always manages to feed every single person without missing a beat
A side station called The Snack Shrine™ stocked with kettle chips, pretzels and hummus, trail mix, dark chocolate almonds, Dot’s pretzels, Reeses, and Bobo’s bars
And of course: Diet Coke, wine, seltzer, Arizona tea, fancy cocktails, bubble tea, sweet tea, and one lonely can of cranberry juice (Ash points at it proudly)
There’s a game corner with board games, Jackbox projected on a sheet, and a pile of fidget toys that Abbie insists are “for everyone, not just me.”
Nearby, a craft table has optional parallel-play energy – people sew, sketch, woodburn, write cards, or just sit and vibe. Bess teaches someone how to thread a vintage sewing machine. Ash starts a tiny art project. Seph builds a small, strange trinket for their shelf.
Next to the pavilion, the picnic field is set up for movement: a badminton net, yard games, space to dance, and an optional guided nature walk for anyone wanting quiet connection. Hannah challenges people to mini golf using random found objects. Amy starts an informal “let’s just stroll and talk” group that grows bigger than expected.
As the sun sets, the mood softens. Someone builds a small fire, and people drift toward it with blankets. Casey pulls out hot chocolate. Pat passes around peanut-butter-something he baked.
Chelsea sits with a glass of wine, half-listening to conversation, genuinely relaxed because for once, no one needs anything from her.
Gene-Leigh hands out almond croissants “just because.”
Alexandra tells a story about rugby injuries that makes everyone cringe and laugh.
Julia and Elis debate which unhinged female character is superior.
Vanessa quietly hands someone a handwritten note and they beam.
Toward the end of the night, the whole group gathers for one collective thing they all agreed on without hesitation: a donation moment.
Gift cards and funds are pooled and divided among causes mentioned across everyone’s forms – Casa San Jose, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Trevor Project, food justice orgs, animal rescues, reproductive justice groups, harm reduction programs, local youth support orgs, and so many others.
It feels grounding, like a reminder of who Chosen Path Collective is and why this group works.
As the night winds down, the playlist slows, people hug or wave or Irish-goodbye into the darkness. Someone says, “We should do this every year,” and everyone agrees, knowing that – for this one night – they got to experience the exact kind of workplace they always hoped existed.
A little weird.
Very queer.
Deeply kind.
And absolutely, unmistakably Chosen Path Collective.
