Sports Mania

So I was in Borders today (on day off), and found a journal that was like creativity on training wheels. On each page it told you what to write/draw/doodle/sew. It was an interesting idea, if a little odd when one stopped to think about it. Why shouldn't we be able to come up with what we want to fill our journal pages with on our own?

I literally lived in darkness for half the week. It stormed a lot this week, which is really a nuisance when most camp activities take place outside and any time there's thunder it all those activities have to shut down for twenty minutes. My most exceptional day this week was by far Wednesday.

It was pouring that morning, just like it had Monday morning and Tuesday morning. The counselors in our division were sitting in our little room shelter out in E-land, just finishing up our morning meeting, when the bugle started to crackle. It was about time for the bugle to play from the PA system to wake the campers up, but there was something a little odd about the crackling. Oh no, we thought, it's going to blow really really loud. Instead of the normal bugle, however, a deep, male voice comes from over the PA system.

"FIRE CALL. FIRE CALL."

By the time we found out officially it had been a mistake, we were already soaked in the thunder storm, and our girls were more than woken up. Things went back to normal. But the storm got worse. And worse. Until our division director collected the girls in the division early and took them away. I decide to hang out in the division for a bit longer. Until lightning struck very close behind one of the tents, and I made a run for it. Sadly, my poncho was in the staff lounge.

By the time I got to the dining hall, almost the entire camp was there, having been evacuated from their divisions. The girls tried to have their morning devotional times at their tables, some of them still in their pajamas. Their counselors raided extra staff clothing bags in the laundry room for dry clothes while dozens of shoes were thrown in the dryer. We played Scattergories as a camp after breakfast until the storm had calmed down enough for us to return to our divisions and follow rainy day procedures for the rest of the morning.

The sun didn't come out again until Thursday after lunch. My girls emerged from the tent after rest time, stepped into the sun, and cried, "Look at the sky! Look at the sky!" In my imagination, they're definitely raising their hands and pointing their fingers.

It was interesting, no doubt. A little bit fun and a little bit scary, if only during the false fire alarm. I'm actually kinda grateful for the storms, though. Prior to the fire alarm and the evacuation, I had been in a terrible mood, brooding on frustrations and annoyances and fears. All the craziness helped break the routine and helped dismiss my frustrations. This summer at camp hasn't been the easiest, and there have been a lot of discouraging moments. But I don't take that as an indication that I shouldn't be here.

I'll probably just be oh so tired when I get home in three and a half weeks.