Imagine a perfect world. That’s difficult to do, right? It is so easy to become caught up in all the hate, crime and general misery around the world that sometimes we forget to focus on the love, talent, and inspiration everywhere we go. I’m not saying that we should ignore things like the latest mass shooting or tragic fatal accident, but rather, when the world seems its darkest, to acknowledge every positive joy that illuminates your path. Over the last six years of my life, I have discovered and cherished one place where these little joys happen: summer camp.
Summer camp is not just a place, it is a life of its own. Campers and counselors alike come from different areas to be a part of the experience, whether it is voluntarily or not. By the end of each week, through shared encounters with illuminated moments, every person leaves with an irreplaceable and everlasting bond with one another. These relationships form around the one idea all camp-goers have in common: we are all human. Summer camp does not know race, age, physique, sexuality, gender, intelligence; we are all the same at camp, we are all human.
Six years is a long time, but, even though summer camp has only occupied about nine months of my life all together, it is no less effective in how it has improved who I am. I have put together a list of these reasons that not only make summer camp a better version of the real world, but also a better version of yourself.
1. No Parents
Let’s be real: any time spent away from parents and not at school is like a vacation.
2. Freedom Of Thought
Without parents, or teachers, or really any kind of authoritative figure, it’s easier for kids to think for themselves. Kids are fantastic thinkers; they have such wild imaginations. Unfortunately, that kind of thing is frowned upon far too often. It is so important for kids to learn to think freely, to question life, and to second guess a tradition. Why do we have to excuse ourselves after we burp? How do I know God is real? Why do I have to eat all my vegetables?
3. Absence Of Judgement
Because of the way society loves to tell people what to think and how to think about it, kids are constantly suffering from the fear of being laughed at and shunned by friends and family because what they think may not be "right." Freedom of thought is encouraged for everyone at camp because it is 100 percent guaranteed judgement-free. No one will laugh at you because you painted the elephant pink at Arts & Crafts. No one will kick you out of the lunch table because you like to eat your dessert first. To judge others is to limit yourself and that’s a boring way to live.
4. Willingness To Break Boundaries (Comfort Zone)
Once kids are accustomed to the fact that no one will judge them for thinking how they want, they are increasingly likely to begin behaving in new ways. I mean in good new ways. Kids become more willing to try new things, like that sport they were always afraid they would not be good at or a conversation they only dreamed of with someone just like them. They learn new skills and discover new passions. They become a better version of themselves because societal limits do not exist at summer camp.
5. Opportunity To Explore (Yourself And The World)
If numbers Two through Four were rivers, number Five here would be the ocean into which they all dump. With no limits, no judgement, and no boundaries, kids are gifted with the incredible opportunity to explore the inner workings of their mind as well as the vast world they live in. Why do I think this way? What if I think the other way? Why is the world so full of hate?
6. Sanctuary
Summer camp offers unconditional sanctuary from the real world to give kids the opportunity to accomplish this judgement-free self-exploration in a way that is unhindered by outside factors because…
7. Summer Camp Is Technology-Free
At least at my camp, there is limited technology. No cell phones, computers, or video games. Kids are too often obsessed with these things to a point where they can hardly think for themselves. Even if camp is just a week for some kids, that is a week free of technology. It grants them the chance to view the world through something other than a camera or the first person point of view of a video game, the unblemished, all natural view of the world around them.
8. Camp Secrets
Because what happens at summer camp stays at summer camp.
9. Games
There is an unwritten law that says there are certain games you can only play at summer camp. These games include but are not limited to: Froggy Detective, Ninja, Dead Horse, Silly Willy, The Moon…, Black Magic. Kids can also participate in other activities at camp they would not normally have access to such as archery, creek walks, paint twister, acting classes, and nature talks. This is also another great way they can begin to explore their different passions and discover their many talents.
10. The Camp Counselors
As I am on the back end of my first year as Director of Camping Programs for my camp, I can say without a doubt that the staff is the best part of the summer. Not only is it fantastic to watch them bond and teach the kids day in and day out, but nothing beats the relationships formed between counselors by the end of each summer. These people are honestly the most kind-hearted, compassionate, marvelously talented group of human beings I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I am not just saying that because they make my life easier. (If I have ever worked with you outside of camp and you are currently reading this…hi.)
Every year the hardest task I have to do is let go of my summer camp family because we all have our own paths to take and lives to live throughout the rest of the year. It makes it easier knowing nothing can replace these relationships, lessons, and memories. It may be the end of the summer, but it is just the beginning of something that illuminates my world when it appears dark.
