Camp Week 3: Airport Thoughts and Gallup

*80s cartoon narration*
"LAST TIME, WE LEFT OUR HERO..."

...At the airport.
So, though the majority of my week was spent back at camp, Sunday was spent in the Dallas airport - for 9 hours. While I wasn't initially enthused, I ended up enjoying my time in the airport. The delays, cancellations, and hydraulic malfunctions before take off [no, really, take your time with that one Mr. Pilot. I will be patient] allowed me to write, finish two books, and ruminate on wonderfully pointless things.

After a long, emotional week returning to camp felt a bit like returning home.

It week with campers went well, but was not without its surprises. This week was the first time I had to take a camper aside and talk with him about behavior. After a long time, this camper admitted to having a rough week with his mother, and missed his father. It breaks my heart to hear such stories. I made sure he understood the consequences of continued bad behavior, but spent much more time just listening. His life already had so much pain in it, and I hope he can stay and have camp be a positive influence in his life.

Also, this week, I had to rescue a kid while I was life-guarding. While I can't actually discuss the incident, I can say that I got to practice back-boarding at some point during that day, presumably unrelated to this incident ... which may or may not have happened. [Psst! We're in parenthesis now, so we're totally safe. It happened and the camper is fine].

Following the week of camp, a small team was going to run a mobile day camp experience at a local bike race for the racers kids. I volunteered for this all-day event, which proved to be enjoyable in its own way. During the 3.5 hour drive there, late Friday night, we told ghost stories in the van and slept on the seats at the campground where the race began and finished. Gallup, NM was much more of the desert experience with dusty roads and sunny sun sun. The mobile camp went well, and many families expressed interest in sending them to Glorieta later this summer. Either way, after another 3.5 hour drive back to camp, I'm ready for upcoming week.

I am beginning to wonder what everything will be like when I return home. While I imagine there will be some familiar situations to return to... I have a feeling that things have changed - and thank God for that.

Here's to backboards, and the campers they allegedly can hold.

-Patrick