Summer Camp

My adventures started out early in life - before I even went on airplanes or had my driver's license. Looking back, I could write stories just from my childhood. One chapter ... no ... definitely a whole book would have to be devoted to camp. I don't remember going "every" year, but I'm sure I probably did.

The first camp I ever went to I made 3 good friends. We went everywhere together. They're in most of my pictures from that year. It was kind of a 3-for-1 for me. Two of the girls were sisters, and the third girl was a friend from their church. So, when I met one, they all welcomed me into "the group." I don't really remember anyone else, other than my counselor that year.

That's me on the far right in the blue dress, our counselor was "Miss Melissa". Aubri is on the far left in the back row (we were from the same church). Two friends I made were Brenda and Mary (on otherside of Miss Melissa).

The following year, I don't remember many friends, but I remember a stinger. I got stung on the bottom of my foot by a hornet or wasp ( I can't remember which one now I just remember the word "bee" NOT being used by the workers). At the time we were waiting for all the kids to come up to the basketball court to start a planned activity (I was there w/the early crowd). We took off our shoes and were running around the court, and in the grass. I felt bad for me being stung, but I also felt bad for my counselor who carried me all the way from the basketball court to the nurse's station. I was young, but needless to say, before we actually got to the cabin she was huffing and puffing. That is my earliest recallection of feeling fat. I don't know if I made mention of it to her, but regardless, we finally made it to the nurse. My counselor couldn't stay, and I was stuck in there w/an overly nourished boy that stunk and was in his wet swimming trunks. I don't remember what happened to him, but that definitely was not my day either. (I do remember the use of Pepto Bismil though .... hmmmm)

One year I missed Jr. Camp, so a close family offered to take me with them when they went to family camp. Made 3 friends right from the start of the week and enjoyed everything. Well, up until the early morning when I woke up with the croup! Had to sit in the bathroom with a steamy hot shower for a very long time. When my "mom" saw I was getting worse we were off to the ER. A faculty member drove us and I remember feeling more and more sick the farther we drove. The camp was up in the woods so to get to a city I think was quite a drive. My "mom" is very strict on people wearing seatbelts, but my stomach hurt so bad I took mine off and had my pillow on top so she couldn't see. Good thing too b/c I found myself rolling down the window just for some air, and all of a sudden my whole head was hanging out of it ... and let's just say I'm glad I wasn't in the car beside us viewing the happenings. The nice man driving us frantically started looking for anything to put in my hands for the rest of the ride, and he found something! Don't get excited yet. It was a nice empty (but used) microwavable popcorn bag!! It makes me gag just thinking about it. So, I couldn't look out my window -- the view was ... umm blocked, I couldn't look down into my lap, I couldn't breathe through my noise, and I was coughing the whole way. Finally get to the ER! Woo-hoo!! :D I was miserable and coughing the whole time til the dr. got there, and finally he arrived! :) yeah again!! Pulled out his stethescope and said, "Ok, go ahead and cough" .... .... .... .... That's what happened. NOTHING! I couldn't cough if my life depended on it. I felt awful. Can't remember the rest of the visit now, but we got back in the car, drove to the faculty members house, watched him clean off my side of the car (apologizing the entire time), and then back to regularly scheduled activities. I had never had croup before then, and I've never had it since. I think our humble driver is going to have a special reward in heaven b/c he was so nice about the whole thing. (*Recently I learned -through my nieces experience- crisp fresh air will shock the croup symtons and the breathing will steady, and the coughing will subside. With that knowledge, I know now, that's why I couldn't cough at the dr.'s b/c I remember feeling relieved when I got out of the car -- at the time I just thought that's b/c I didn't have to smell greasy, buttery popcorn, or look at a huge glob of slime running down the window anymore!)

That particular camp year is impossible for me to forget. I remember my "mom" receiving a phone call from home (my parents), and when she got off, she told me they love me and they hoped I was having a good time. Somewhere down deep inside of me told me something was wrong though. I didn't have much time to think about it, and I would NEVER question what she said to me. Even though "the call" was in the back of my mind, the activities of the week preoccupied most of my thoughts. When we got home I spent the night with my "family" which was great but at the same time odd. I thought, my parents live right down the road, why don't they just come get me!??! Come to find out my Great-Grandma had passed away, my whole family minus me had driven down south for the funeral, and my mom "called" us at camp to tell us where they were going to be. My mom(s) in their wisdom, didn't tell me so I could enjoy my time at camp. I'm glad moms are smart. Even though I still would have been involved in the activities, I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. After we were back and I heard everything, there were tears and hugs, but it was better hearing it from my mom.

Another year and a different camp later, morning chapel was dismissed and we were suppose to go to our seperate classes, and while I was moving out of my pew, my culottes caught a nail and ripped SUPER bad!! It was an "L" shaped tear the size of my hand in the back!! No way to be discrete about that. Ran back to my cabin with my friend got changed, and as we were leaving we got scolded for not being in our class. After I explained the situation, there was still little mercy, but I felt relieved knowing I had a ligitimate reason for not being in my class.

Then there was the fact that I am NOT a morning person, and they would wake us up at what felt like the crack of dawn. One particular morning I was not feeling well. If I'm queasy I cannot smell food otherwise I'll gag ... etc. etc. This particular morning it was taking them longer than usual to get us in for breakfast, and we had to stand outside, in a line, and wait for the mess hall to open its doors. I was gagging, and surrounded by all these kids w/tons of different smells, and then WHAMO! Every once in a while the breeze would blow just right and I'd get a nose full of whatever was brewin' in the kitchen. I finally couldn't "discretely" gag in line anymore. I jumped out of formation (Right when the doors opened ironically), rounded the corner, and lost my early morning cookies right there at the back screendoor of the kitchen where the smells were coming from. How ironic. I just couldn't last any longer.

One dinner they served us was chili, and I've never been able to eat chili. (Gag factor again). They wouldn't let me choose the option not to take the chili in the first, so here I was with this chili on my tray and I was just trying not to puke from the smell. My pastor I think was sitting at my table, and the cook ( a good friend of my pastor ) came up to talk with him. When he saw I hadn't eaten my chili he told me I had to eat it, and if i didn't he wouldn't let me buy any candy for the rest of the week! :O Those are serious words for a chocoholic like myself. So I gagged down that meal, but I'm not sure if it stayed down or not, (some memories are so terrible I have blocked them from my mind).

And the zinger! The shower room. ha ha ha OH MY WORD!! It's pretty scary when you are in the middle of a shower and all of a sudden you start hearing girls screaming that there's a mouse running around. I really have never streaked out anywhere.....but if a mouse would have run in my shower....I would have run out!! Praise the Lord a farm girl picked up the cute lil' critter and took him out. Needless to say I used the "buddy system" everytime I had to go in that bath house ... or whatever the technical name for it is.

Despite all of these experiences, I am considering going to camp this year as a counselor with a friend. Neither of us have done this before, so we're thinking/praying about it for this year. The trip Rebecca and I were going to take to Romania this summer has been postponed until next year, for us, so this would fit in perfectly -- and they're wouldn't be a language barrier!! (well, I may not talk all 'hip' but at least I can understand most of the English language! ;) ha ha)

So "why?" might you ask, am I going to put myself through this again? I'm not really sure. History does repeat itself, so I doubt I'll have a good experience, but look at it this way, you'll have a current camp story from me ... probably w/pictures included! Hopefully, my friend and I can keep eachother safe from anything too terrible. I am taking a first aid kit w/me.....just in case! ...and a sewing kit ... oh, and crackers for early in the morning ... oh and .... well, this list could go on forever, so I'll end with, I'm taking a good attitude w/me, b/c you know, "Attitude is Everything!"