Camp, same place, only the faces change

awww
driving down 35
i see the sign
the marker
exit 318
3 chai
it never changes
I pull off
to the right
because I am always
driving from the north
whether I was in high school
college
or married with kids
the north of Waco

exit 318
Bruceville
I pass a gas station
that used to serve gas
I pass a railroad track
that I think
still has a train
I pass the post office
that has long since closed its doors

the houses
on the way
on the drive
stay the same
or change color
we name them
my girls and I do
the dome house
the beehive house
the yellow house
or the house
that used to be pretty
we drive down that road
and our hearts flutter
we know that we are near

the gates
real gates
an electronic gate
with beautiful lettering
spelling out the name of the camp
Greene Family Camp
not the old metal gate
no
that was ages ago

there are some parts
that are the same
the cabins
the moadon
the courtyard
the lower courtyard

but
it is actually prettier
even though
camp is not about the beauty
of the buildings
it is about the beauty
of the people

yes
there is a new sports complex
a new office building
a new dining hall
tennis courts
art room
pool
and infirmary

but
sometimes
i drive in
and still think about
the lower pool
the portables
the old staff cabin
that was just one little room

a lot has changed
and
all for the good

but then
we dress for shabbat
and everyone comes in
the dining hall
wearing white
the songs are being sung
the smiles are brilliant
and there
in front of me
if I squint
it is all the same
only the faces have changed
that is the best feeling of all

Lovely time with British Girls

More Fun
Summer is beginning

I help recruit families
in the dallas area
to host
our international staff
from
GREENE FAMILY CAMP
before they need to go to camp

the international staff
gets here early
but
instead of going straight to camp
we have them go live
with our families
to see what
American life is like

they arrive from
Israel
of course
sometimes
south africa
russia
australia
or England

I get to help
make decisions
so I chose
2 girls from England
they were so cute

both girls
were blonde
and fun
and my daughters
fell in love
not just with their accents
but these people
they adored them

we took them shopping
out for mexican food
to the movies
to a dinner
at another family's house
to meet other staff members

we went to target
and bought silly things
for them to take to camp
we gave them t-shirts
and shorts
and cereal
i guess
they don't get Lucky Charms
in england anymore

they were fun
we had fun
my girls enjoyed this
little break

now
we want to go to camp
even more
and
I never thought
that could be possible

Camp

camp is real life
the rest is commentary

i know
many people think camp is not real life
but
i would much rather live there
than at home

i spent so much time
at camp this summer
working during the first session
in the infirmary
as a nursing assistant
watching my kids
from a far
playing with my friends
at night
when the kids went to sleep

it was the camp's
35th reunion
it was a blast
saw old friends
new friends
old campers
old faces
so many memories
in so many buildings

in so many ways
the place stays the same
just the faces change
it is beautiful
and
going back to camp
reminds me of being young
and when I am there
with my best friend
we act like we are teenagers

we hang around
the staff members
who could probably be
our kids
if push came to shove

but
thank goodness they are not
the camp director
has been there forever
and we
sometimes act like teenagers
in his presence
it is so funny

but
a camp experience
is another one of those things
that can't be explained
you just have to be there
again and again

Grasshoppers causing car accidents

i was so sad
i didn't want to leave
but
the session was over

time to leave camp
at least not for too long this time
just for a couple of days

we were
as usual
one of the last to leave

we went to Bethany's
camp area
put some of her things
in my car
but
she was coming back
for another session
when
I wasn't allowed to be there

then we went to Lucy's cabin
Bethany ran to tell her last friend goodbye
Lucy's stuff was everywhere
ugh
that frustrated me
why can't she get her stuff
together
for once

we got it
all in my car
she was mad at me
so she sat in the back on the car
thank goodness
I realized later

driving through camp
no seat belts
at about 8 miles an hour
I had the windows down
a grasshopper hopped into my car
colorful that he was
I laughed at it
and tried to swat it away
i was so focused on the
grasshopper
that I didn't pay attention
and the next thing I knew
CRASH
was the sound I heard
Lucy was screaming
crying
I was hurting
but I ran to her
she thought she was bleeding
I had hit a utility pole
while playing
with the grasshopper
I forgot the first rule of driving
keep your eyes on the road

my car was a mess
Lucy was a mess
i was driving back to the infirmary
where I slept
where I stayed
where I worked
many nurses were there
they turned off the lights
checked Lucy out
called the camp director
he came running
checked us out
then went to check the pole
"the pole is stronger than alyson's car"
was the quote
thank goodness
I thought

I started to drive
Jeff got upset
he wanted someone to follow me
and to get Lucy to the doctor

it ended up being so much easier than I thought
a friend from camp
followed me
on the access road
I couldn't get on the highway
my car was making funny noises
my best friend met up with me on the way
she took Lucy to the urgent care
my friend followed me
to the body shop
that my insurance told me
to go to
she brought me and Bethany
to the urgent care
BFF and Bethany drove home
Lucy and I saw the doctor
all was good
Enterprise picked us up
just like in the commercials
and we got the new car
filled it up
with all our stuff
then drove
the 2 hours home

i said it was camp karma
camp didn't want me to leave
but
neither did I