I'm currently at theatre camp. Writing this from my bunk, while the girls toss and turn, and technically I have only 5 minutes left of "flashlight time," if I'm being totally honest. But I'll go far beyond that.
My favorite FAVORITE thing about camp is how much the campers adore each other. A handful of them have known each other for upwards of 5 years, camp is where their souls live, where they are totally safe. They are both encouraged and independently moved to support one another and build each other up, and they do it very well.
Tonight the plays were cast. That's a tough night. People are ecstatic, crushed and on the edge of something new. But these kids love each other. The people they've known for 1-6 years. The people they've known for 3 days. Tonight I watched a camper whose 5th summer this is, who may or may not be excited about his part, I couldn't tell, I watched him put his arm around a first time camper, congratulate him on his part, tousle his hair, and say, "I'm so proud of you, man," before bear hugging the new kid.
I love it here. Where else in the world do you find people so devoted to each other and what they're doing that they can find in their hearts that kind of love in a matter of days? Young people have a natural gift for it. These kids have naturally open and honest hearts.
Several times a day I think, "I wish I was a camper."
