It's a Wrap! Farewell Summer of 2009!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
I write a lot during the summer. The oldest post I can find on this current software dates back to June 3 in 2005. I know I was "blogging" well before then and before "blogging" was even a word. Since then, there have been 309 more summer posts of varying length and clarity!
Laurie and I celebrated our twentieth summer as camp directors this season. The years have passed more quickly than I would like. I remember when we thought our first fax machine was the most high-tech thing we had ever seen. We had one phone line, and it was shared by the kitchen, the staff, and anyone else who needed to make a call. Cell phones had made their debut, but they weighed a ton, and it would be years before any service got to the mountains.
9/11 changed things in more ways than we will probably ever know. I think it was the end of innocence for my generation of parents. It was one of those defining moments...before I even knew what had happened, my thoughts turned to my own children who were in elementary school at the time. As parents, we realized that bad things can happen, even in our own backyard. At times, we hold on too tight, I think. A couple of psychologists coined the term "helicopter parent" to describe those of us who "hover."
As parents, our goal is to raise bright, self-reliant and confident children...right? Children who will only grow in these traits as they mature into adults...and hopefully who will get off the payroll some day and marry a spouse who loves to cook and clean and do laundry as much as we do?
I'm wandering a bit. I started this post thinking about my last entry for 2009. I am often asked if I long for the days before technology allowed us to invite parents to live vicariously through their campers with pictures and nightly updates. The answer really is...no. Camp is the antidote for our children whose lives have been affected by our insecurities as a generation of parents. The internet has allowed us to get our message out there each night...a message of how important experiences like camp are in a child's life. Camp allows risk-taking and challenges in an environment lovingly cared for by those who have "come before." Of course, there are other benefits as well...just unplugging from technology and cellphones and T.V. is something all of us should do a couple of weeks every once in awhile too!
Camp is such a great confidence-builder for our children, and today was a perfect example of that. The crisp mountain air, and warm sunshine was interrupted only briefly late afternoon by a twenty-minute downpour. Both campers and staff were dressed in tie-dye t-shirts they made this week in a riot of color. After Bill's famous pancakes, bacon and sausage links...with sliced strawberries and whipped cream (I know), we were all ready for a big day.
The morning was spent in activities...nature, landsports, swimming, riding, archery and arts and crafts. Appetites were again satiated by homemade pizza, salad, and bomb pops for dessert. An Illahee tradition is the gutter sundae, the worlds largest ice cream sundae. In this "swine flu" summer (none at Illahee thank-you), we opted instead for individual sundaes, which were a surprise after rest hour. The afternoon segued into final banquet and then final campfire. An impromptu dance party in the RecLodge was a hoot, and final campfire's songs, skits and stories culminated in the floating of Wishboats. I know a number of campers floated their boats with a wish to return to the Heavenly World next summer. Until then, sleep well. Gordon.
