Back from camp - tanned, rested and ready!
I do this thing every now and again where I volunteer as basically a camp counselor. It's a 5 day long camp and it's always a lot of fun. I believe the kids even have fun from time to time.
This year, I got a new camper. I missed the last couple of years due to my forced exile in Sidney, so the camper I used to have grew up and moved to Jakarta, I believe.
Anyway, my new kid is 16 and his name is Alex. He's a good kid - smart, and kind of a trouble-maker. I have no idear why they paired us up... weird.
Anyway, we spent most of the time at camp trying to get away with stuff without getting caught. We did pretty well most of the time, but the director was wise to our ways and caught us as often as not.
The best part for me was the rock wall. It was about 40 or 50 feet high (but looked like a couple hundred). I clambered up that thing like a well-oiled monkey in record time to the amazement of the other campers and staff. Ok, they were mostly bored just waiting for their own turn, but it was pretty impressive nonetheless.
My camper didn't care much for the wall, so opted for the zip line instead. From the ground, he looked really nervous. But, little did we know he was just planning his ride. He jumped off the ledge and immediately spun to an inverted cross position. This, naturally, delighted most of the kids and a lot of the adults, but not so much the director or the staff. Something about liability and the fact that the harness isn't designed to be used upside down since all the support is in the other direction.
Not surprisingly, an edict was immediately put out warning any other campers that a repeat performance would be considered a violation of the "rules". Bah!
It was really cool. You've never lived until you've vigorously sung ridiculous campfire songs at full volume surrounded by like-minded weirdos, while simultaneously licking the remnants of s'mores off your fingertips.
It was a very fulfilling experience and I encourage you to give it a try if you ever get the chance. If you can imagine me in shorts and a t-shirt unashamedly singing campfire songs, eating lunchroom chow and braving the great outdoors (ok, it was a dorm with showers, toilets and AC), then surely anyone can enjoy it.
I'm already planning the end-of-camp skit we'll do next year! Something about the periodic table and a bunch of mini-einsteins running around... ;-)
3 comments:
Hey old man. Sounds like you had a good time. I'm glad that you are doing well... love ya
I know this camp is for kids with cancer, but I think they need to change the name. "Camp Quality" sounds like some corporate seminar that the guys from Office Space would have to attend.
That's all I got. Keep up the good work with the kids.
I think it's great that you do this most years, and that you're out in the sun AND enjoying yourself! No idea why they would pair you two up though, sounds like it'd be a lot more of a pain for the director than anything, but as long as Alex enjoyed it :-)
Love ya old man,
P.S. I agree with Fred, they should change the name.
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