A slightly different read than our normal post but this past weekend was a powerful reminder of many things.

We are all built. We are creatures always in a state of construction. We are 3-D printed out of the things consume. Our minds are filled with the images and words and sounds to which we attend. At the best of times, we are selective of these inputs.

How does camp play into this? This past weekend’s bowling party in NYC reminded me of the impact of summer camp.

Parent to Cole: “Who are these young men? They could not be more kind and friendly.”

Those, ma’am, are our CIT ‘Boys.’ I put the last word in quotes because their actions this past weekend – getting new campers connected, bowling with the little ones, having fun and being welcoming to the new parents – showed they are fast becoming good men.

Parent to Cole: “My daughter just came up to me and said ‘everyone is so nice!’” That is part of what Weequahic is: a collection of pretty great young people. The other part is what Weequahic does: creates a community in which the best of what is inside a kid shines.

Parent to Cole: “We needed a GAC re-fill.”

Back to the statement above. CS Lewis once said:

“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace… you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”

This is why we should get back to camp. It’s full of that which brings out the best in us. It’s full of people who focus on being where they are and with whom they are. And as we know… camp is all about the people.

Ah…. Can’t wait for camp.   

There is a great old blessing in the Jewish tradition:

“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

Campers – what does this mean? Well… to me, it means that you are following the teachings and habits and life of someone more learned, experienced and wise than yourself. The blessing then means… take that which you want to imitate from that teacher and become more like them.

The Imitation Game

We humans are an interesting bunch. We’ve got these great opposable thumbs, a huge brain relative to our bodies and the most intricate communication abilities in the animal world. We discovered the use of fire, survived millions of years of evolution, built machines to ply the waters and explore the stars and… developed things like Tiktok.

(Sorry – couldn’t resist.)

How did we make it this far? How did we – who are certainly weaker than lions and bears and the weather – survive and thrive from then to now?

By imitation.

We learn by imitating those who came before us who survived and thrived in a difficult place and time. We, as a species, kept doing this over and over for thousands and thousands of years. So much so that this imitation operation is unconscious in many ways. What we eat, the words that come out of our mouths, the mannerisms…

We are covered in the dust of our teachers, of those we follow and observe the most. Which begs the question:

You Choose

Who are you choosing to follow?

If this impulse is hard-wired into our operating systems, then we need to be thoughtful about who we are observing, who we are following. Because their dust – their actions, mannerisms, words, opinions – are going to collect on us and influence everything we do.

How can you tell who you are following, whose dust you are collecting?

When you are young, it’s pretty easy: just look at your parents and your older siblings. But it’s more about your parents. (So, parents… whose dust are we collecting?)

When you get older and start to naturally shift your focus towards the larger world, this is when you need to get more serious about your choices. Take a look at your phone history, web browser or calendar. What books do you read the most? What was your most listened to artist on Spotify this past year? What stories do you tell yourself the most?

My friends, we all collect dust from those we follow. Be thoughtful on who you choose. Have a great weekend!

Many of our camp families are enjoying the last weekend of summer before the start of school. That normally involves a last couple of days of sleeping in, a short trip and some packing for school.

I remember my own experiences of that well – laying out the backpack, prepping the pens and pencils, the feel of a new notebook clean from my doodles and ineffectual notes, the nerves and the questions.

Who would be different after the summer? Would there be new kids my classroom? I’d heard about the teacher, but what would they really be like? Should I act any different than I had in the past?

Now, let’s be honest – I was not thinking too much about that last question. In lower and middle school, most of us are just who we are… that collection of habits and actions and thoughts that we’ve built up over time, mostly unconsciously. Once we get into late middle school and high school, we are a bit more aware and can make (some) intentional choices on our behaviors and words.

So, what are you going bring to school in terms of who you are? Are you going to be the kid you were at camp – thoughtful, fun, engaged… the one spending time with friends without a phone in your hand or in front of your face?

Or are you going to fall into the same pattern that everyone else does? Most kids don’t know any different. They just keep doing what they did this summer – screen time, listen to an adult, see other kids a little and more screen time.

You, however, had a different experience.

You got to be around counselors, program heads and DHs who showed you how to interact face to face, how to take risks and choose your attitude. You got to see how much fun and refreshing life can be without the demands of social media and apps. Whether you wanted it to or not, the summer experience made you different… in a very good way!

So… what would I suggest you pack for school?

A little courage – go make a new friend or two. Reach out to someone you can see having a hard time connecting. A little gratitude – your teachers deserve it… and so do your parents. (Plus, you had this past summer which is a LOT to be thankful for.) Finally, remember that you have the power to choose how you react… all the time. Make sure to tuck a few great memories and stories from camp, too. Those are always fun to share.

Good luck in school this year. Remember who you are. Let your GAC make the little spot of the world around you better.