What I Learned from Camp

It’s Whatever Wednesday so here’s my random thought from the day…

When I walked in the ladies restroom at work this morning, the lingering smell of Aussie hairspray brought back a very distinct childhood memory.

Camp.

Camp Tuk-a-Way, to be exact.

Located approximately 27 miles from anywhere notable, it welcomed us church campers one week, every summer.  We girls stayed up on the hill (which felt like it was a mile long walk) with four cabins and a shower/bathroom house.  At any given time, you could walk into the girls’ bathroom at Camp Tuk-a-Way and find any number of girls spraying their Aussie hairspray while getting ready for the day, cleaning up from the pool, restyling after FOB (flat on back) time, primping for the evening service…There was a constant London-esque fog of Aussie aerosol hairspray in that bathroom.

Camp Tuk-a-Way was where I honed my mad checkers skills. 

Also where I learned to dive like a fish.

And what Snickers bars were really made of…

For those of you who did not have the luxury of Camp Tuk-a-Way, I will try to recreate some of the very vivid scars memories and relay what I learned from those irreplaceable weeks.

1.                  Even though it was the longest walk, Cabin 4 was like the Ritz Carlton. 

I believe I stayed in every girls’ cabin there.  (Didn’t they go by like 1G, 2G, or something like that?)  1 was the shortest walk and wasn’t that bad, 2 was the camp equivalent of the slums, 3 (I’m pretty sure) was haunted and/or infested, but Cabin 4…you spent weeks praying for that cabin. 

2.                  When playing Tug of War, do not tie the rope around your waist.  You very well may die.

While I don’t remember her name, I have a very vivid memory of some very large teenage girl, tying the rope around her stomach and then almost dying when her oxygen supply was cut off.  And actually, I don’t recall playing Tug of War after that.

3.                  The best don’t always win.

Every cabin competed for the cleanest cabin, the best decorations, etc.  After about two days of complete domination, our church was shut out of all awards.  Happened every year. (I still remember putting up a traced image of Grandma Dean – who was actually only one girls’ grandmother, but still, to this day, is called Grandma Dean by everyone.  I do believe we still won that day.)

4.                  Don’t spend all your canteen money by Tuesday.

Being from the ridiculously wealthy family I was, (ha!) I was given usually $20 to make it through the week.  Shouldn’t be hard since all meals were provided.  The only place to spend money was the canteen.  You could always tell the first year campers because by Wednesday, they were out of money.  I think each year, I learned to make my $20 last just a little longer.

5.                  Tang can be substituted for orange juice.

I loved Tang as a kid.  It was the best OJ that I knew of.  Not till I became an adult did I realize there probably isn’t one speck of real fruit in that stuff.  Especially when it’s diluted four to one.  I didn’t even know they still made Tang till some of our church nursery workers bribed my 2 year old daughter with it.  (I had some.  Tang is still pretty awesome.)

I don’t know what ever happened to Camp Tuk-A-Way.  But I sincerely hope that one day, I can ship my children off for week of torture character building experiences. 

So there you go...the lessons (and smells) you learn at camp will stay with you forever.