I have attended summer camp for the majority of my life. I was a camper for many years, but after I grew out of this role I became a counselor myself. I honestly do not remember many specific details from my time as a camper at Camp HiHo, but I do know that it was a place I cherished and loved. It was an escape from the everyday world. There was no technology at camp, so we had old-fashioned fun. We did everything from visiting the puppy and kitten barn to swimming on a giant water trampoline all in one afternoon. Now that I am a counselor at HiHo, I still see it as an escape. It gives me the opportunity to learn from some of the most fearless people I know: kids.

For obvious reasons, many people do not consider kids some of the most fearless people they know. Children do not have as many experiences as adults and have always lived under their parents’ protection. Despite their lack of experience, kids understand one thing many adults seem to forget: how to be themselves.

A perfect example of this is the weekly talent show we hold at HiHo. Every Friday afternoon, the entire camp gathers around a small stage to watch various performances. These acts include dancing, singing, magic tricks, joke telling, jump roping and anything in between. Some of the acts are rehearsed and the kids are in sync with each other for (almost) every move. On the other hand, some kids just dance to their favorite song (Moana has been this summer’s hit) and make up the moves along the way. These “moves” usually consist of a large amount of arms and legs flailing and feet running around the stage. When they sing, they are usually mumbling into the microphone two verses ahead of the music. So the talent show may not be "America’s Got Talent" material, but it represents the true essence of being a kid.

What is this true essence? The answer is simple: kids are not afraid to be themselves. They are able to stand on a stage in front of over 200 strangers and dance to their hearts' content. Although the dancing is rarely considered “good” by society’s standards, they are happy to show everyone their perceived talent. I have never seen a child smile larger than after the entire crowd applauds following their performance. They have no shame in doing something they love. This seems like an easy principle to adopt, but it is much harder as an adult.

I am unsure at what age kids lose this fearless nature, but at some point it begins to fade. At HiHo one week this year, an older camper who was probably 11 or 12 asked me if she had to watch the talent show. I replied that everyone at camp watches the first 20 minutes, and her facial expression became disappointed. She retorted, “Only little kids do the talent show,” and stormed off.

This comment highlighted a simple fact that I seemed to ignore: little kids made up the majority of the talent show. I had never noticed this before, but now I am unable to ignore it. At some point, kids learn that performing unrehearsed on stage is not the “cool” thing to do. They lose the natural confidence they are born with. This only gets worse as they enter adulthood and encounter judgment on a daily basis.

Although this sounds bleak, HiHo has shown me that this way of life does not have to be the norm. Sure, adults may not attend camp and perform in a talent show, but they can learn something from kids. They can realize that being true to yourself brings pure joy to you as well as others. Through my experience as both a camper and counselor I have experienced this joy on both spectrums, and it is something I will not soon forget.