Camp- ah what do I say? It was not my thing. But the girls had fun, when they weren't fighting or complaining. They stayed up way too late each night and are a crabby mess now. I put them on the bus this morning wondering if they'll make it through the day. They went to bed at a normal time last night but are on one heck of a sleep deficit. At camp, the latrine down the lane made for some interesting situations. The fire that kept refusing to light made even me cold and I never get cold. I had to rush home to wash bedding and rush back because of a "wee" problem with Tara and the sleeping bag. There were hikes in the muck, up hill both ways. I know that sounds just like a cliche, but it really was magically up hill both ways! The sound of my daughters fighting like cats and dogs at camp was irritating to everyone. They decided that this was the time to become enemies.
I could go on and on with my sunshine but I'll stop now. I know there were good parts. I just can't think of them right now.
6 comments:
Memories- the kids will remember all the fun they had. Keep saying that as you warm up and dry out. I LOVE my camp memories.
Amy, I'm glad you had good memories at camp. It makes for a better perspective. Thanks.
Hey!
I love my camp memories and miserable campouts make for particularly vivid recollections. Not that I go looking for miserable campouts – I MUCH prefer pleasant weather & crisis free experiences, but somehow the facing and surmounting of difficult situations, especially when the campers come together to overcome, is very rewarding.
There are studies that show that families that regularly camp together have a markedly higher ability to deal with stress productively.
And concerning Christian youth camps – an old statistic from the early 90’s found that 87% of young adults in church claimed to have experienced and entered into a personal relationship with Jesus on camping experiences. Sadly though, most Christian camps are really struggling these days. The South-Western Presbytery sold theirs off a few years ago.
Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” identifies a wide range of studies linking the absence of nature in children’s lives with the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Not that being in nature is the cure all, but rather that it is both a sign of and a contributor to a deep existential disconnect between modern urban people and the root of what it means to be truly human and a part of a greater ecosystem.
I’m banging one of my favorite drums here so I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Here’s hoping your next camping experience is filled with good weather, good bonding, and perfectly roasted marshmallows!
Hi rattus!
Nice to hear from you. And thanks for taking the time to speak so eloquently about camp. I am trying to see the light. :) I certainly think the kids will go back to camp. I may have to wait a bit before being another parent helper. But you did give me some food for thought.
The other 20% of campers enter into a closer relationship with God by praying for the sweet release of getting out of camp.
HAH!
That’s great Jay.
And you’re probably right.
“Sweet Lord baby Jesus I will follow you wherever you go just get me the #%&$ OUT of this wilderness nightmare!!!”
Hee hee.
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