aileen

My first visit to the United States was when I was 19. I came out to work as a counsellor on a summer camp. Last week, I went back to camp.
It wasn’t the same camp; it wasn’t even in the same state, but as I drove out into rural Louisiana I thought about my time at camp for the first time in many years.

I have a million good memories. I knew this camp would be different; after all, kids have changed haven’t they? I read about it in the media all the time.

I walked into the large room where lunch was just finishing and was immediately reassured by the atmosphere. The kids were laughing and enjoying every moment by being in the moment in that way we too often forget when we grow up.

I watched from a distance for a while, and I realized there was something different here — something unusual. The children were all so different — their ages, their backgrounds, their style — and yet they were all intermingling.

There were no little cliques or separation. Although they were in two age groups for activities, they all came together in one group.

As a communication specialist, this kind of thing fascinates me. I know that this only happens in the right conditions — conditions where each child feels completely relaxed and accepted in their own right. They get to be themselves — 100 percent them — without worrying about judgement.

When you create this environment, everyone benefits. As I say in my speeches: When you are being you, you give everyone else permission to be themselves. I was seeing what I teach in action. It was wonderful. This is what summer camp should be about.

The children were full of personality and questions. They got fully involved in every activity. There was no rolling eyes and cynicism here. These kids know that life is for living. This camp is Camp Bon Coeur, a camp for children with congenital heart defects.

You wouldn’t know by the noise or by the activity level. It’s easy to forget until you catch a glimpse of the scar on their chests and see the medical equipment stacked in the nurse’s room.

Each camper has a personal story, and here is it a shared experience. Here, they don’t have stand out for their health condition, they get to stand out for who they are. Believe me, they all take that opportunity. It’s a joy to be part of.

I wonder how it would affect us all if we had a place like Camp Bon Coeur, even for a week every year — place where we didn’t have to try and fit in, a place where we were accepted automatically just for being us and where we could try new things without the fear of failure or judgement. I’m sure it would do us all the world of good.

I’m hoping to be invited back next year; I’m already secretly looking forward to it. I’m sure the kids are too.

This column appeared in The Daily Advertiser, you can find the original here - don’t forget to recommend it!

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