Difficult is Delightful
August 6, 2014 by Don Gentle
This sure is a cool group of guys. I can’t believe two weeks is almost up. It sure is great to see these guys pull it all together. I have really enjoyed seeing them try new things and overcome obstacles. Tonight’s canoe fill-ups is s good example. Nothing beats taking an age group and filling about eight boats with four campers each. Arm them with a couple paddles and a bucket or two and you have one of the funnest games on the lake ever. The boys paddle around trying to fill-up each others canoe. No bailing allowed. Eventually you reach the tipping point and the chaos begins. Many of these guys were nervous the first time they dumped their canoe. I won’t say they are not still a little nervous, but the fun of the game is worth it. After a couple of dumps they were all more excited about filling up their own boat than trying to stay afloat.
Many of us generally shy away from things we are afraid of doing. Most all of the time we feel better once we tackle it. Sometimes we don’t feel better. That’s the kicker. You know what? That is all right too. My father-in-law shared with me a wise teaching. The focus was more about your career and finding out what you want to do with your life. Anyhow, he felt like it was important to take some jobs you didn’t like. His answer was that”it will help you understand what you don’t want to do.” His son found out that he didn’t want to own a car wash. Sometimes we don’t like to do what is hard. The boys this week have overcome some things that are not easy. Check out the teeter totter pictures tonight. Do you think those boys were a little nervous the first time they took their bike up and over that? How about the first time they spent the night outside? How about the first time they were away from home for two weeks? All of these “hard” tasks have been faced and overcome this week. Will there be some things that were not their favorite. Sure! What you will find out is that the joy and learning far exceed the discomfort. I would go as far to say that the discomfort at times is what will make the best stories. So while these boys have overcome many hard things, they have also had a blast doing it. They are learning a whole lot more important life skills than just mountain biking. My favorite part is that you believe it is important just as much as we do. And all I have to say about the teeter totter is “Man, was that fun!
Tonight’s Evening Activities:
- “Hill Billy Warriors” (Hillside & Connestee) – There was a sweet game of capture the flag, followed by the awesome light saber event in the bouldering cave.
- “Aggressive Squidwards” (Lakeside & Foxhollow) – These guys were on their chill night.
- “Men of the Woods” (Flattop & Chalet) – Canoe Fill-Ups. The best game ever.
- “Do It for the Vine” (Windswept & Outpost) – On the cabin field.
- “The Most Annoying Noise in the World” (Lookout & Pinnacle) – These guys were headed down the water slide.
- “Trains” (Halfway & Holiday) – Dodge ball in the gym.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you on closing day this Saturday. Please plan to arrive around 9:30. Campers will get out of assembly after 9:45. Each camper will be able to demonstrate the activities of his choice throughout the morning. It is a great time to see what they learned at camp, meet with their counselor, and enjoy hearing all the stories. It’s a great time to let your son lead you by the hand and tell you all about it. So plan to stay until noon and join us for lunch. If you were not planning to stay for lunch originally, don’t worry- we always have plenty.
Enjoy tonight’s pictures!
Don