I cannot begin to tell you how many times people say to me, “I wish I had your job.” Shorts and a t-shirt, an office with windows that look out on to a magnificent lake, and surrounded by the sounds of laughter from happy, smiling, well-adjusted children– truth be told, I absolutely love my job, and I could not think of anything else that I would rather be doing. However, it stands to reason that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to create this environment.
Working with children and their parents can be very emotional. It is difficult not to become personally invested in the development of every child who attends this camp. I feel that a child’s experience is a direct reflection on me. Intellectually, I realize there are many factors that go into a child’s happiness, some of which have nothing to do with the actual camp experience. Nevertheless, if a child attends Camp Takajo, I want him to love it, and feel a sense of accomplishment by the end of the season.
When I speak with parents on the phone and form strategies to help their sons integrate better into camp life, the conversation does not end when I hang up the phone. I rely heavily on the group leaders and counselors to help implement these strategies. There are times that I wish there were no phones calls nor visiting days because communication with home can sometimes lead to a phenomenon I refer to as “regressive pull.” This can sometimes inhibit a child’s growth and development at camp. So much of camp life is spent fostering a sense of independence and self-reliance.
After spending hours working to help campers and their families navigate through some challenging moments in camp today, I stepped outside my office to watch the rest of our campers participate in a massive laser tag game on the Senior baseball field. I witnessed a community that was playing gleefully together, loving life, and working in teams. I needed to experience this perspective myself today. While I recognize that the happiness of the Camp Takajo community is measured one child at a time, I took great pride in seeing groups of smiling, happy faces outside my office walls.