Monday, August 13, 2007

the long and winding road.......

Ready to take it all on!






You'll never find a kid's camp without a long and winding road leading to it's magical spot. It needs the journey of anticipation to reach it with the level of excitement and a dash of anxiety necessary to kick off the emotions and adrenaline of meeting new and reuniting with the cherished.


Yesterday, I was the driver of the journey to camp for two very excited 13 year old girls, who had been looking forward to the arrival of the BIG DAY since I picked them up last summer at the end of their successful foray. I knew exactly how they were feeling. I had been in the backseat for the trip many times. Though it was a different winding road and a different camp, the thoughts and feelings, as well as many of the sensory cues were exactly the same.


Hazy blues in a slumbering summer sky...........just how it should be when we turned off onto the entrance driveway, the tires crunching the dusty gravel. Sounds of music, and kids voices greeted us waving through the pine scented air. It's far from loud.....just enough volume to filter through the forest. All so familiar, like a favourite camp shirt fresh out of the dryer.


All of the questions which have fed the pulse of the excitement.....Which cabin will I live in? Who will be my counsellors? Who will be in my cabin? Will there be new things to see and do? I wonder if we'll go on a canoe trip?..........ALL of these questions pondered over and over for months leading up to being greeted by the camp staff receive their answers as we lugged overstuffed bags to the two top bunks nestled in the cabin closest to the glistening waterfront.


As the girls were acclimatizing themselves by setting up their beds, and reuniting with two other smiling exuberant friends, I was whooshed by the deja vu real life memories of my own arrival as a 13 year old girl to my camp. Different locale, but the same in all the important aspects. Echos from the past were also filtering through the pine. My own summer reunions and wonderment, all around me offering significance and a sense of belonging. I could feel my camp shirt touching my skin again.


I tucked them in as best as I could, chatted with the counsellor all the while dropping positive vibes about how much fun she will have with these 4 keen campers in her care, gave all of the girls hugs and encouragement (like they needed it) to ENJOY! to SAVOUR! to TRY something NEW! Then, I left them


I drove home the long way, taking an even more undulating road which hugged the river to revisit my own 13 year old friends and to remember the times we shared. It's been so long since then. That specific summer isn't totally separate from my 12 years at camp memory bank. I needed a longer drive just to process the many jump up memories. They are like a chain of daisies, beautiful as a garland, linked individually......you step back and see a bouquet. You look closer and see the strength and beauty of one flower.


What I was left with at the end of my drive was the new learning which comes from taking the time to reflect about the people who have been a part of my life journey. It's not fully new.......reflections help you add onto previous learning....it helps you enhance or alter what you know. New perspectives from long ago experiences can also reinforce one's faith in our destinies......our long and winding roads.

Camp for me was a sturdy life affirming series of signposts which pointed out a path I ended up on. It taught me how to paddle my own unique canoe and it gave me the grounding for my career as a counsellor and a teacher. It opened my eyes to believing that the important gifts in our lives come from the connections we make with people. For that, I will always be grateful.

which canoe do you choose to paddle?

3 comments:

Queen Mel said...

Wow! That is powerful. The picture of the canoes and then what which canoe and paddle do we choose.......I love the anaolgy, it is so very true. Your daughter is very lucky to have a mom with the insight to point out to her that she needs to "savour" this time, that is so true, her experiences now will help her chose canoe and paddle of "her" choice.

Very good. Your pictures would be perfect for scrapping.

derick said...

hello
the relationships that we find on our journey are always the ones that have the hidden opportunities, that is if we are in a receptive mode, being proactive and not in a emotional reactive one.
paddle well and always enjoy the rapids for what they are.

awareness said...

Hey Tay! Would love to scrap with you and Princess Sarahdipity ....maybe this fall? I wrote a piece a while ago for a course I took on portfolio development entitled: "Life Lessons from the Stern of the Canoe." The purpose of the exercise was to write something which highlighted a few key people and events which impacted my upbringing.....this is a bit of a derivation of that original piece. I too like the analogy and it works for me. Canoeing, though I don't get a chance to take part in it as much as I would like (am planning a paddle sometime this week on the SJ river) is the one activity besides writing which has always felt the most spiritual. I taught canoeing for many summers when I was a camp counsellor. Paddling solo......when you're kneeling just so the gunnels are just above the water.....and you have a gliding thing happening....hands on the paddle....you can feel completely connected to both the canoe, the water and the air around you. It's a wonderful feeling of connectiveness and contentment.
I'm thrilled my daughter (and son now) is finding her way through her experiences at camp.

Derick....welcome and thank you for your comments. I agree with you.....proactively receptive....active listening and sharing of ourselves produces hidden gems.
The rapids? Love the rapids....always best to tackle them with support.....just have to stay clear of those nasty standing waves.