Observations about camp and England

Written August 12th

I am back up at camp, after being at home for five days, during which time I did a bunch of laundry, visited with family and friends, attended a wedding, and shuttled John to a soccer practice and game.  It was pretty busy, and I felt somewhat scattered, as I had so many little details to deal with. 

But now, back at camp, I sit under a tree by the trailer: watching the boys play in a large sand pit; listening to people chat on the dining hall deck; observing a group of dancers.  Owen is checking out his hands.  For a few moments, there is calm.

There is something peculiar about being away for a week, away from everything, and then returning.  The last time we were away for a weekend, Amy Winehouse died and the Norway attacks occurred.  This time, we returned to the ongoing but somewhat resolved debt crisis, super duper stock market fluctuations, and riots in England.  Wow, and weren’t those quite the riots in England???  There certainly is a large group of people – hmmmmm……perhaps we could call them the working class – who are pretty pissed off. 

I can’t help but contrast another big news event from England, from earlier in the year – the wedding hoopla of William and Kate.  What a media frenzy! 

We are making a big deal out events that lack substance (the royal wedding, the subsequent royal tour of Canada, the Stanley Cup) to sidetrack us from what is really important (poverty, economic crisis, climate change, peak oil).  My theory is that the people of England, after the wedding hoopla had subsided, realized that they were still unemployed, or underemployed, or struggling to survive, and that watching two rich privileged people get married didn’t change their lives.

And they were pretty angry about that.

Camp is free choice

Written August 5th

I am up at a groovy summer camp, which I attended as a kid.

We moved a trailer here in mid-spring, the trailer Jeff used to camp in a variety of provincial parks when growing up.  It has provided a tremendous opportunity for us to slip up here on weekends, as the drive is only two hours from home.  We have placed the trailer by a dining hall, which is convenient for meals, which we sometimes purchase, and bathroom access.  There is a lovely pond about a five minute walk from our trailer, which gives far enough away I feel pretty comfortable allowing the boys to run free while close enough we can pop down for a swim.  Very fun. 

John and Cameron are both in a kids’ program, and I am hanging out with Owen.  He, at four months old, is pretty content to squirm on the ground and look at his hands. 

The other day John was complaining he was bored; perhaps the lack of technology or television caused him to pause and wonder what to do.  And his comment caused me to think, and respond that this place was all about free choice, which, when at school, kids love.  School is such a structured environment, so kids embrace 30 minutes of free time like it is gold.  Providing a framework seemed to help:  you can do what you want here, as long as you are not hurting anyone else, and you are doing it in a peaceful and beautiful environment.  There are kids your age, yummy food, two playgrounds, a sandbox, games, art supplies, and we can go swimming.  There isn’t easy access to technology, although still a fair bit kicking around. 

This camp is free choice.  Cool.