I volunteered a few months ago to go to scout camp last week. There were many reasons, not the least of which being that I had two sons who were going, so I figured it would be a nice thing. That was the bright spot, really.
Plus, my dad sacrificed a week of his vacation every year for a LOT of years to go to scout camp - sometimes even when one of his sons wasn't going. He was scoutmaster for a lot of years. So, surely I could do that for one year, right?
On Friday, as I left work, my coworkers said, "Enjoy your vacation!" This elicited a more than a slight chuckle from me. Vacation? Okay...sure. I will be helping to babysit 12 boys for a week to make sure they don't get lost in woods, drown, start a forest fire, cut off any fingers, or deface any national monuments.
***Spoiler alert*** I am happy to report that we were successful in that regard.
Yes, there were multiple pocket knife injuries, but nobody lost a complete body part. ***End Spoiler Alert***
Scout camp - full of dorky songs and yells and stupid schedules and expectations of attendance at campfire programs and flag ceremonies every day. Can't they just leave you alone and let you camp and go to your classes and have fun?
Why the )*(&!#*$(*&!#(_%*& songs and yells? They are so $*(!)(&^#!&$)!^$^ stupid!!!
And the expectation to be at the programs where those songs and yells are repeated over and over again!!! Shoot me!!
That's how it felt at the start of the week. If you knew how my scout troop operated when I was a scout, then you would understand why I feel that way.
But, this week, we adult leaders made the kids go to flag every morning. We made them wear their uniforms. We hiked them up the hill to campfire.
We made them sing the (*$!%^%$(*#!)&^$ songs and yells. We made sure nearly every merit badge signed up for was completed before leaving - about 95%.
Then Friday came along. The entire encampment was together for the closing flag ceremony.
The yells were louder than they were on Monday. The songs were louder, too. The excitement was way higher. The participation level was clearly much higher. Even leaders were getting into it.
Even I was getting into it.
It could have been that everyone was tired and loopy from no sleep all week.
It could have been that everyone was just excited to be going home the next day to shower in a real shower, use a real bathroom and sleep in their own bed.
It could have been that the Pavlov conditioning was working and everyone was being brainwashed into it.
Or maybe...just maybe...the experience meant something and everyone was giving back in the moment because of the week they had.
Maybe everyone was truly enjoying it.
Maybe seeing that change over the course of a week is why my dad kept going back year after year. So...we stopped by to see him on the way home...
