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Tak Talk Blog- Camp Takajo – July 31, 2018

By July 31, 2018 January 4th, 2019 Tak Talk
Camp Takajo in Naples, Maine

The weather continues to be magnificent here at Camp Takajo. The sun was shining all day, and the temperature reached the low eighties– perfect for our Warrior Braves (finished third grade), who spent the day at Funtown/Splashtown USA, enjoying the water rides and the perfect weather.

Camp Takajo in Naples, MaineOur Junior Grey campers (finished sixth grade) traveled north to the Kennebec River, where they will have an evening around a campfire before venturing out on a ten-mile journey down thrilling whitewater rapids tomorrow. Midway down the river, the boys will pull over and enjoy a campfire lunch that features steak and chicken cooked over an open grill.

Our Okeechobees (finished ninth grade) enjoyed the last day of their Western trip in Las Vegas at The Big Apple Coaster at the New York-New York Hotel and the Wet’n’Wild Water Park. Our Intermediates (finished seventh grade) were once again kings for a day, spending the time being the big shots in Senior camp. With our SubSeniors in Canada and Okees out West, the Inters competed in a series of all-star games and retired to the Senior Rec. Hall, enjoying the privileges that their older counterparts normally have. Our Warrior Crows had their sleepover party in our movie house, staying up late and munching on some pizza in between scenes.

Camp Takajo in Naples, MaineAt the end of the day and before I was about to retire for the evening, I found a thirteen-year-old boy uncharacteristically upset. He mentioned that he had been talking with a bunkmate, and they began discussing who the best basketball players were in the age group. What was meant to be a private conversation was shared by this other individual, which created some controversy for a number of the boys in this age group. The young man who came to see me appreciated that his words were taken out of context and meant no harm, yet felt that the damage would be irreversible.

I advised him that the most difficult conversations are the ones that must take place and suggested that he go directly to the boy whose feelings were hurt in order to apologize for any misunderstanding, rather than allowing a misconception to fester. I advised him that it is always best to be honest and transparent and to apologize for any miscommunications.

As adults, we understand that this is the best course of action, but for an adolescent trying to establish his own credibility among his peers, this could be a rather challenging moment. The camper took my advice and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the issue dissipated. While this and many other moments in a camp day seem to be unnecessarily magnified, the reality is there is so much going on that it is easy for us to put aside our grievances and take the high road.