I had an early wake-up this morning. My phone rang at 1:00 AM, which is never a good sign. Fortunately, there was no emergency. However, our Okees, alleged leaders of camp, were on the loose and up to no good. For some reason, these boys believed it was their right of passage to pull a prank, and this was the evening.
I’m not sure who was the mastermind, and quite frankly I’m not sure that in retrospect any of them would take credit, but our boys made their way into the dining room and removed all the tables out of the building and onto Hobby Lane. They proceeded to toilet-paper the rafters of the building and then move playaks and sailboats onto the dining room floor. When I arrived in the darkness of night, I snuck up on a half dozen boys who were sitting down by the sailing dock, chuckling over what they had pulled off. I shined the light on the posse of boys and watched their moods drastically change. I told the boys they should rally the troops, remove all the toilet paper from the rafters, return the sailboats and canoes to the beach, and put the dining room tables and chairs back in their rightful places. While I didn’t do an underwear check, suffice it to say some of the boys may have had an unintentional bowel movement.
I stood outside on the porch of the dining hall, watching our Okees scurry around the building, trying to restore it to its original order. The boys, who had used teamwork and precision to carry out their idea of a prank were no longer a well-oiled machine as their bubble burst and it was now time to do the heavy lifting once again while their energy and enthusiasm were depleted. It was an interesting moment to see which boys would step up, take ownership of their actions, and assume a leadership role among their peers. Some were just exhausted and wished this had never happened, wanting to go to bed. Others started to place blame on their friends without assuming any responsibility. Few put their heads down, organized work groups, and diligently and methodically worked until the task was complete.
By the time reveille blew, our Warriors marched to the dining room as if nothing had ever happened. However, our Okees were so tired they could barely bring the spoon to their mouth and enjoy their cereal. Keeping moments like these in perspective, I always remember that it’s okay to hate the sin but love the sinner.
