righteous alchemy

 laser tag in a dairy factory

not allowed

daisy tag with larry's phlactery?

maybe if you ask right

Top 5 Tough Truths

Here's a story:

Lying is an important part of being a counselor. But telling the tough truths is even more important. Here are my top 5 tough truths I've told campers over the years.

In 2019 a kid asked me, "when's dinner?" and I said, "Oh I already ate all the dinner and threw it up in the river. Sorry." and they said, "really?" and I said, "yeah. sorry."

Last year I did this thing where whenever I found two socks I would just throw one in the trash. And then at lost and found people would always be like, "how do you lose 1 sock?" and it was really me.

Every year I say the Mechums River Walk is fun and it is fun.

Number 4 is um...the official lore of the Marshmallow Fairy is they were just a regular person who made a Marshmallow Sorcerer mad in the parking lot of a Kroger. And they were cursed to be a Marshmallow Fairy. The Marshmallow Fairy appears and in exchange for the Marshmallow Fairy leaving the magic realm, I am suspended in a tube and they run experiments on me. Also, the Marshmallow Fairy is unstuck from time.

And the number 5 tough truth that I've had to tell campers over the years is that you probably are a decent person you just need to work really hard to be recognized for anything or have money or just be naturally talented because some people are naturally talented and they'll always be better than you no matter how hard you try but you still have to try anyway because your spirit and the futility you were sentenced to from birth are redeemed in the trying. the end. 

this corn HITS

good visit to harrisonburg

 They got a cat. She's a sweet cat. 

Went shopping with Mom, changed my brakes with Dad, visited Grandpa Dave. A good trip all around. 

I found Crying of Lot 49 on a bookshelf and started rereading it. There's a lot of I can't quite piece together, his phrasing is really tricky at times but it's a fun book. I read about a chapter a day and then I have to put it down. 

Today I helped out at the pool. It was a pretty busy day but I got a lot of reading done and played around on the diving board during the lulls. 

I went to the climbing gym after and I didn't realize just how hot the day had been because I was super tired but didn't really understand why. Then I went home and saw the high for the day and realized what I'd been sitting outside in for 6 hours. So, I haven't lost as much fitness as I'd feared. 

I'd really like to get back on a good schedule of running and climbing. That's the goal for this week.

to reach 3000 miles

 from now until the end of the year I have to average 9.2 miles per day. Or about 65 miles per week.

So what I'll do is run 10 miles 5 days a week and then a 15 mile long run. There's not much room for down weeks but I think I was probably doing too much of those anyway. I'll keep the mileage up but just bring down the workout intensity about once a month. Shouldn't be too bad.

reflecting 8/22

 Woke up and read the start of Remember Be Here Now. I started reading the book at camp again for the 2nd summer and I always really enjoy the group that I can get to stick around for it. It's a really interesting book.

The ideas that really resonate with me are mostly about cultivating a sense of calm and perspective and reflection. For my own sake I'd like to work towards having that calm presence but also I think that's a valuable quality for working with people and kids specifically. 

Today I worked towards that goal by reading Remember Be Here Now, whittling and sanding the rings I'm working on, and listening to some relaxing music. 

Gonna go for a run now and then do climbing tryouts which will probably be crowded and a little hectic but I'm going to focus on being positive and friendly. Catching up with the kids I haven't seen in a while and making an effort to get to know as many of the new folks trying out as possible.

story #1

A lot of people wonder if how I act at camp is how I act outside of camp. How much of all this is a character and a performance? If you see me on the street how should you approach me? What should you expect? Well, I'll set your minds at ease and tell you that there are some differences. Camp Me and Not Camp Me have some slight but unmistakable differences.

Like if I saw Anders in at camp I'd say something like "oh hey Anders" but if I saw Anders in town somewhere I'd be like "oh hey Anders".

Or if someone asked me to check if their coffee was too hot at camp I'd try it and say, "ooo yeah that's still too hot" but if I ran into someone at a coffee shop and they asked me the same thing I'd be more like "ooo yeah that's still too hot."

Or if I was drinking water at camp I'd drink it like this, but if I was drinking water at home I'd drink it like this.

[make up some more things]

say it again say it again say it again

 it's such an absolute gift to work at camp. it's the highlight of my year. it's what I really love doing. 

 

we would like to stop passively not having fun and instead actively not have fun

why do I like my job?

 -I think I'm good at it

-I love the people I get to work with

-I love being outside all day

-I love getting to have fun and giving people the chance to have new experiences

-I love building friendships and a sense of community

-I love that camp has to be created. It doesn't go if we don't make it up every year and every week and every day. It has to be created and recreated.

-I love that you get to learn and teach people how to be a good member of a community. 

I'm so unbelievably proud of the people that I've had the privilege to watch grow and I just think they're incredible and to hear that I played a role is the greatest gift.

well, at least it's cold

 No Gary, I like when it's hot. That's why I work at a summer camp!

today I tried my best

 and I did pretty good

 

we're gonna have a good day

 I was a little disappointed with my climbing today but I think I'm being too hard on myself. I'm doing more training than climbing at the moment and I'm hoping to see some improvements. Camp fatigue just makes things hard. I'm optimistic though. I think I have clear goals and a solid plan to get there and the motivation to do it.

I felt like I was the heavy today at camp. I say that I like doing it and part of me does but at the end of the day I really don't like being confrontational with people and telling them what to do. It's not fun and it doesn't feel good. But I know at the same time that it's not fun for everyone else when a person or a group of people aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. And that's not fair to the people who are doing the right thing. 

I don't know. I try my best. And I know I make mistakes. But I really want camp to be a fun safe place where people feel like they can be their favorite version of themselves.

today I showed people a cool spot in nature and I listened to people's experiences

and that's a good thing to do so I'm doing alright