As a kid I didn't go to camp every summer. I went to Stony Lake for confirmation camp in 2001 and 2002, and enjoyed both summers. I remember a variety of things about both summers. I thought that today I would share some of those memories.
Back in 2001, I can still remember not really knowing the girls I was in a cabin with, and feeling like I didn't quite fit in with that group of campers. Yet, I managed to find other campers that were my age and that I got along well with. I can also remember that during that week in 2001, I began to realize that despite having been questioning my faith for a few years, that there was a God out there. It was during the week I spent at Stony Lake in 2002 that really had an impact on me.
In the days leading up to me leaving for Stony Lake in 2002, I had a dream that was rather confusing me at the time. The dream was about myself and my fellow campers running around camp trying to meet and talk to all of the counselors. It was at the end of the dream that I reached the final counselor I needed to meet.
Within a couple of days I was on my way to camp. Having reached Stony Lake, I met the counselor that I would be spending my week with along with several other campers. The moment that I met my counselor, I had one of those moments when my jaw dropped and I had no clue what I should say. It was during the first moment that I saw my counselor that I realized that she was the same person that I had walked up to at the end of my dream just days before.
Throughout that week, I learned a lot about myself. I was lucky to be in a cabin with a group of girls that I got along well with. I also was lucky to have the counselor that I had. The counselor I had was one of those people who had an impact on my life. Throughout that week, the counselor I had shared her faith with us, and also showed me that it is okay to be an introvert. It was at the end of that week that I remember thinking "I need to work at a summer camp when I get older.".
I have been lucky. I've been able to work at a summer camp since those two summers. This summer I will be working at Spring Hill here in Michigan. I'm looking forward to it in so many ways. I know what to expect out of working at a summer camp. I also know that I am going to enjoy every moment of the summer. I am also looking forward to working at Spring Hill for another reason. In a way, I am returning to a situation that led me to working at summer camps. I just hope that I can have a positive impact on the kids I will be working with this week, help them grow in their faith, and help them find their path in life.
