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What’s Happening at Camp Takajo: July 29, 2015

By July 29, 2015 January 4th, 2019 Tak Talk
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.