From the summer of ‘78 through the summer lof ‘87 I could be found at camp. I lived ALL. YEAR. LONG. to get there. It was my entire summer all rolled into a few days.
Camp was:
hot as blue blazes
walking around with bandaids on your knuckles from playing box hockey
trying to get a table by a fan in the mess hall (no a/c)
avoiding “killerpillars” that infested the place and STUNG mercilessly
Yelly Screamy
skit night
water fun
the moonlight hike
Bible class
swings
The Box
KP
ringing the bell
Camper/Staff softball game
the day your cabin FINALLY got to go canoeing
Cabin check
all night prayer sessions
a bunch of incredibly silly songs
Elbow day
the Country Store
singing, and singing, and more singing
Campfire
pranks
Holy Ground in the staff room
and a list a mile long of people who watched me grow up
I recently caved and gave into the siren’s song of Facebook. I had resisted it knowing that I would get sucked in to all of my old friendships–which is not a bad thing mind you. These people–school people and camp people–they are the people who helped me along my way. I’m just sort of a talker (go ahead–spew your beverage on your computer monitor–I know that’s an understatement), and this world wide web makes talking even faster for me. Seeing as how I have three people in my house and about 200 students and peer faculty at school, I didn’t really need to go out and find 650 of my closest friends from 20 years ago during this past school year. Little busy.
But now it’s summer. . .and so I’ve succumbed. One of the most fun things has been finding people from camp. I keep trying to figure out how to explain it, and I can’t. If you’ve been to camp, you know.
Anyway here is me 20+ year ago at camp. Please pardon the frosted makeup and big hair.
- My sweet friend, Arlene. She went to prom with Matthew McConnaughey. No lie.
- I served as a Maintenance Maid for several summers. We cleaned like 15 years worth of grime off the stoves one night.
- Everyone lining up to go eat lunch. They guy waving, Charlie, was a dear, dear friend who passed away several years ago. This one photo sums him up.
- Lots and lots of good friends.





2 comments
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June 25, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Sarah
A) No idea about Arlene’s prom date. That’s way cool.
B) I, too, totally love that picture of Charlie. Makes me smile, makes me sad.
C) Someday we need to have an in-depth thought/ writing about how campy you are/ were vs. how campy I am not/ wasn’t. Very funny. I know nothing about any of this which you speak except the hot as blue blazes stuff since it was that hot wherever I was, too (and it is here currently, as well…)
June 27, 2009 at 3:35 PM
Roxanne
Was it you who was in his car when he passed someone on the right hand shoulder of 165? Man, he was a HOOT!