it is fun to stay at the ymca

Honestly I can't remember if we went to YMCA summer camp before or after Girl Scout camp. It doesn't really matter. My sister and I had both attended summer day camp at the YMCA when we first moved to Southern California. We all wore matching t-shirts and once a week got to go on a field trip (we also got a new t-shirt each week). Once it was Knott's Berry Farm, but mostly it was an opportunity to hop on the bus.

I don't remember much about YMCA camp, except it is where I had what I think might have been an asthma attack. At the YMCA camp, the girls and boys had separate living quarters, but we participated in activities together. At Uni-Camp the only time the boys and girls came together was at a dance, and on the buses.

We had running water and bunk beds at the YMCA camp. I can't remember how/if laundry got done. I don't think we were restricted in taking showers. If anything, it was probably encouraged.

I learned how to kayak and row a canoe. Rowing a canoe was much more difficult than it would appear. There was a man-made lake on the property, so the conditions were ideal for learning. You couldn't get yourself in too much trouble. I also got to ride a horse!

Many of the kids were return campers. Others came with people they knew. The only person I knew was my sister. That and the fact that I was painfully shy made me a bit of an outsider. Still, I tried to make the most of it.

One day towards the end of camp, we went on a big hike. I was not much of a hiker. At one point I felt like I couldn't breathe, but I also feared looking like a wuss, so I kept on.

When it was clear it wasn't getting better, I finally stopped. The only two kids who stopped and checked on me were the guys everyone made fun of. They called them names like 'retard' and made fun of them because of how they looked and dressed. Truth is, these were probably some of the smartest kids at camp. They were nerds before that term was mainstream.

They stayed with me until I caught my breath. They got me to calm down so I could focus on my breathing. They assured me I would be okay. And after a few minutes, I was.

We continued on, and they slowed down and stayed with me the rest of the way. I already knew to never judge a book by its cover, but this sent that message home loud and clear.

There were a lot of camp fires and singing and group participation. Each squad of campers had to come up with a skit for the camp fire. Our counselor wasn't very into it, so we never won any of the awards, which were more bragging rights than anything.

One thing I did like about this camp were the camp fires. I think people who make fun of Kumbaya, never sung it around a camp fire. To calm things down we would first sing this song in a round:

Rose, Rose, Rose

Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose,
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire,
At thy will.

Hey, Ho, nobody home.
Meat nor drink nor money do I have.
Still, I will be very, very merry.
Hey, Ho, nobody home.

Ah, poor bird,
Take thy flight
High above the shadows of this dark night.

By the time we had finished there was a quiet peacefulness about the camp. You could feel the energy change. The fire was fading, and the stars seemed brighter. In almost silence we made our way back to our cabins and fell into a gentle slumber, which would be interrupted far too early in the morning for my liking.


on the night stand :: I Was Told There'd Be Cake