Camp Pick Up

I wrote the following in June of 2009. It was my first session of camp and my first experience being a team leader in the cabin. I am reposting this in hopes that it will give you the reader a little insight of some more responsibilities we have at camp. Also today is day one of session four, so it is fitting to talk about some of the things that go on during the first day of each session. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

June 19th 2009

I stepped off the bus and saw two men that looked like they had seen the wears and tares of life. I had never been anywhere in California, especially not Vallejo. It was a rundown town outside of Oakland that was littered with trash, liquor stores and homeless. I went into Jack ‘n the Box sleep deprived and looking for breakfast wondering what those two men outside were thinking about. I bought myself and some bum breakfast and we talked about Vallejo. When we finished I headed back to the bus to find the trip coordinator.
We woke up at five that morning to pick up campers for our first session and Vallejo was our first stop. I felt it was part of my responsibilities to sign up for this; little did I know what I was getting into. What started out as an early morning quickly turned into chaos. Bags started to fly, parents throwing medication bags, checklists, greetings, farewells and so on. At the time I had no idea but those two men I first saw were two campers in my cabin.
Entering this camp experience I had two years experience working with people who have special needs. My responsibilities varied widely as did my jobs. But no matter where I went or what or I did it felt like I had always made an instant connection with the people I worked with. I do not believe we are given a lot of talents in life and I believe that even fewer chase after those talents. It has taken me a few extra years but I believe that this is one of my talents. I enjoy meeting new people and making connections in the way that enable me to educate those who have special needs. This camp is not centered on educating those with special needs, rather giving them a break from everyday life. This is possibly why I struggled for the first time to make that connection.
Those two men provided a challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed for twelve days. They were best friends who shared a lot in common, including autism. They both live on their own in apartments across from each other. They share a social worker who checks in on them. They share similar tastes in music and food. They are incredibly quiet and introverted. Most of the time they simply enjoyed sitting around watching people and talking about that “good ole Motown music.” We struggled to get them to do anything but most of the time they went along.
In the beginning it was frustrating for us counselors who came to camp full of energy and ready to have the time of our lives. It frustrated me especially as a team leader for the first time. I felt like I was failing and embarrassing my cabin. But with a little boost of confidence from people above me we were able to rally the troops and have an incredible session. We took the music that they loved and played it wherever we went and made it our staple to the whole camp.
The song My Girl by the Temptations was heard daily four or five times. It became our rally cry and entrance theme. If there was a talent show, we sang. If there was a dance party, we danced on stage. If we went on a field trip, we brought the stereo. It was like two totally different people. When that song came on those two tattered men began to dance and sing and smile. They captured the hearts of the entire camp. And not only did they make themselves smile, the other campers in that cabin totally got in on the deal. Those two men made camp an experience of a lifetime for the entire staff and campers. It was not us who did anything or taught them anything. We did not say anything or reinforce anything. It was simply them enjoying what they enjoy most.
Three weeks into this incredible experience, I would say this is one of the greatest lessons I have learned. It is not always about making connections. It is not always about me or you. It is all about the other person (with special needs in this case). If it is a vacation they are after then let them have their vacation. It is amazing the affect that we have on each other. Those two men affected each one of us just as much as we did them.