My Most Valuable Possession:
My most valuable possession isn’t a normal possession. My most valuable possession isn’t an item that I loved as
a child or my phone that I love as a young adult. My most valuable possession is
my time spent at summer camp over the past 13 years. I have been going to a small summer camp in
Brevard, North Carolina since 2cnd grade. It is a traditional all girls summer camp with
three main sessions over the summer: a one month, a three-week and a two-week.
After my first two years at camp I switched from a two weeker (camp lingo for
someone who goes to the two week session) to a four weeker (aka the four week
session). My summers have been filled with laughter, girls and hiking, climbing
or caving in the Bluu Ridge Mountains in the Pisgah National Forrest.
Why is this time my most valuable memory?. Camp takes a
groups of girls and throws them together, maybe for the first time and maybe
for their 7th summer together. These girls have to bond without
technology, without their parents and without a school setting. What would a 15
year old do without being able to text someone if she is angry or mad at them?
How does a 14 year old react when they are missing home and can’t call their
parents? How will everyone sleep in a cabin with less room per person than a
typical dorm room? Seems a bit tough? It is but it is worth it.
I can’t narrow down my favorite memory at camp nor would I want
but for the sake of time I will let you all in on one of my older years as a
camper. The summer of 2010. I was at the age considered the oldest campers at
camp, the ones who “run” camp per say. I was headed into the last summer of
being a camper and not a counselor with 11 other best friends. To narrow it down even more I will talk about
one of our nights we spent bonding over cold cereal and painting wall hanings.
Being the oldest we were allowed food in the cabin. For the painting, as a
group we create a themed banquet for the last dinner of the camp session. It is
a huge extravaganza of lights, paintings, streamers and more!
All 12 of us were sitting around the cabin either on top of beds,
trunks or on the floor. We sat and talked.
What did we talk about? I can’t say exactly what was said. Not because
it is necessarily private but because it wasn’t the words that mattered as much
as the time we spent and what it meant to us. As we sat on the floor that night
we fell even more into a group full of life and love for one another. We sat
and talked. I repeat this because how often do we sit and talk now? We had no
distractions besides a paint brush or a handful of cereal. We had no mother or
little sibling running through the room. We had no cellphone beeping or TV on
in the background. Looking from face to face in that room I could tell we
realized how special are time was. It seemed as if time was frozen. In that moment
we had everything. We had friends that cared exactly what we were saying. It didn’t
matter if we weren’t popular in high school, couldn’t throw a ball 20 feet, couldn’t
cut in a straight line (me) or didn’t have your typical family. What mattered
was that we could share things with each other. We could share and not be
judged but be comforted.
This time to sit and talk is my most valuable possession.
Without it and without camp I would not have grown in the person I am today.
Camp pushes me to be a better person every day. Camp pushes me to live for
others, to work hard even when I am down, to be intentional, to love
unconditionally and so much more. That summer of 2010 I realized for the first
time and defiantly not the last time how much camp had given to me. I am now
working to give back to it all that I can. I want someone else to be able to
say they had the time of their life like I did. I want to make someone see the
value they gain from attending a summer camp filled with love and acceptance.
With my last blog post of the year I will leave you all a
tip of advice. If you haven’t been to a summer camp it’s not to late. Go work
as a counselor. You will have the time of your life.
First of all, it sounds like you've had an absolutely incredible experience. The fact that you've held on to summer camp for as long as you have indicates that you are passionate about what it stands for. In addition, I had never thought about the fact that it helps to prepare people for college until now. It seems like the same horrifying experiences, but at a younger age. They have to live without their parents, make friends, and have roommates. Overall, summer camp just sounds like a great experience, which I rather regret not having outside of the mini summer camps I went on through Boy Scouts.
ReplyDeleteYour experience with camp is truly special and unique, and it is an experience I envy. Since coming to TCU I have met so many people who have had this overnight camp experience and they are the most genuine and attentive people I know. It is something I have always wanted to be a part of because it appears to me that true character development happens through that. I have since been able to gain some of this essence by attending and now facilitating Frog Camp, and I can say that even though we only have the campers for 48 hours that is enough to have a life-changing moment occur.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the ability to just talk is something we severe lack in the world today. I watched my 11-year-old brother become so upset over Christmas break because my parents wouldn't allow him to have internet on his brand-new iPod, and that honestly makes me sad. It is crucial for the development of people to be able to talk and express themselves in an honest and open way, as well as be genuinely heard by someone who wants to listen. I am so glad these opportunities still exist, and that you not only experience but also facilitate them.
I LOVED this post! I think it's so cool that you chose to write about memories as your most valuable possession. So many people get caught in the the material things in their life that they miss out on just spending time with one another. It's awesome to hear about your time at camp and the perspective that you gained there because it's something so much more lasting than a lucky pencil or a favorite stuffed animal.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's really cool that that's your most cherished possession. Some of my fondest memories from my childhood also don't really revolve around anything specific. It's just me and my friends hanging out. It doesn't matter what we're doing. We're just together
ReplyDeleteThat's a really creative and special memory, Darbs. It kind of reminds me of the saying, "You won't always remember what someone said, but you'll always remember how they made you feel." You're so right. I was talking to my roommate the other day about how I felt like I'd lost conversation with a friend, when she said, "Sometimes just sitting in silence is the beauty of a friendship; just being in each other's presence is enough." I think that's so true!
ReplyDeleteI also went to camp every summer (although only a week long, except the time I was on work crew) and I fully agree that it is the best experience anyone could have. The whole no technology thing does wonders, as well. It's like living how you're supposed to live!