Memories of Camp

That Little Voice 

Swimming, summer camp, and more swimming: these were staples of my youth.

My parents used these activities to keep my sisters and me occupied during the long, hot summer months when school doors were closed.

Today, we would call it glorified babysitting, but they simply thought of it as a way to keep us occupied and out of the way. They didn’t accompany us, but sent us on our way with the knowledge that there was a lifeguard at the pool, and counselors who would try to corral us at camp.

My eyes still light up when I think of Dwight Mission, a Presbyterian Church camp in northern Oklahoma filled with promises of adventure, new friends, budding romances, and group singing.

Since it was a church experience, there were times for daily devotionals, prayers, and attempts to teach us Biblical lessons, but, alas, my mind was more on the social aspects of camp than on cerebral or spiritual endeavors. We would be sent to the woods each morning to sit alone, read the Bible and spend quality time with our Maker.

I found that my Maker and I had far more fun running around trees and disturbing other campers than contemplating parables that made little sense to me. This was my first indication that intellectual and meditative pursuits would not be in my future.

I didn’t know how to sit quietly, commune with nature, and study in a peaceful environment. Instead, I wanted action, because I knew how to stay busy.

I needed someone to teach me how to be quiet and listen to nature, and those lessons came in adulthood…not to this 12-yearold. I learned square dancing, became ping pong champion, learned camp songs, and swam in a nearby river, all as part of my camping experience. I met cute boys, made friends with kids from all over Oklahoma, and lived with abandon for a memorable week every summer.

My hope is every child gets to have the same experiences of being a kid as I did. They were glorious times, even if I never memorized the books of the Bible. Instead, I memorized all the kids’ names. At the time, that seemed far more useful.

Now that I think about it, that information still seems more beneficial to me. If I need to know the names of the Books of the Bible, I can look at the Index in my version of the Good Book, and there they are. But those friends, I have no way to find them.

Oh, wait, have I checked Facebook?