As anyone who knows me already knows, I was a camp counselor for three summers from 1989-1991. I loved that job, except when I thought I was going to die from over work, poor nutrition or bedbug bites. It was the kind of summer job that changes your life, no kiddin', no literary hyperbole. There's just no way to describe the camp counselor experience that hasn't already been tried.
I can still see the prints of people I met and things we experienced on who I am today. I credit that experience with my firm belief in social justice and green awareness. I also learned that I do NOT want to be in charge of other adults ever again. Leave me with the kids. I learned to persevere through physical and emotional exhaustion and how to feel great when I hadn't had a shower in too many days to count.
It's not just the lessons learned that are still with me, many of my relationships from those are still at the center of my life. My husband and I worked at that camp together. As did the best man at our wedding and half the brides maids. I got my sister to come work with me for one summer, and when I student taught in England, I went to find the English counselors I had met at camp. It was at camp that I learned how to be friends with other girls. That's a skill I tell ya.
It all sounds so romantic doesn't it? Ah, wouldn't you love your kid to have such a transition to adulthood. Yeah. It was also the craziest time of my life. I cannot believe the trouble that my friends and I got into- and survived! I did some of the most horrible decision making I have ever done, or hopefully will ever do. I'm not a huge fan of my kids getting details of that time in my life yet, so I'll leave it at that for now. A perfect, or perhaps even good, role model I was not.
The thing is, now my own kids are going off to camp and somehow I don't think camp counselors are making any better decisions than we did. I know what all we did, and can guess what the new crop is doing, and I'm choosing to send my kids anyway. I loved camp as a kid and I sure don't want my own kids to miss out. I also think that in a few more years my own children will be the camp counselors and will be just about as wise as those who came before them. And I hope they laugh, cry, win, lose, struggle and thrive just as much as we did.
3 comments:
It was definitely an experience I treasure. The life we shared at camp was the beginning of life long friendships that have gotten me through life's best and hardest moments! Plus...we sure had a lot of fun!
Beautiful, funny, poignant as always~come on now, write your damn book already! I'm putting in for an advance copy xx:)L
I have to say those years are ones I will always treasure. I know that I was probably the worst decision maker of us all, but am thankful I had friends that forgave me for some of them. I am also thankful that they are still hear for me through thick and thin now.
I have friends sending their kids to camp now, I often think about those counselors and the decisions they are making. I am sure they are much like we were, but ultimately we were great with kids, we had fun, we helped them make friends and discover new experiences.
Thanks for the thoughts, they made me laugh and cry a little just thinking about those summers.......
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