by Joey Friedman
I used to be a pretty immature kid. I watched Lizzy Macguire; I read
Harry Potter; and I was obsessed with ice cream. I used to waste all my
time watching cartoons and Mary-Kate and Ashley movies. When I was faced
with a problem, I immediately turned to others such as my parents to fix
it for me. The thought of having a mature conversation made me cringe,
and I couldn't deal with any mature subject matter. I couldn't even hear
the word "but" without laughing. To sum it all up, I was a ten-year-old
trapped in a sixteen-year-old's body.
This was all about to change. Last March, I was accepted back to my
sleepover camp as a camp counselor. I didn't realize then how influential
and life altering this experience would be, since I was so young and immature.
All I could think about was how much fun I would have, and the paycheck
I would receive at the end of the summer.
As the months rolled by and the time drew closer to camp, it hit me
that by being a camp counselor I would be given a lot of responsibility.
I would have to be mature and have the ability to handle myself properly
in difficult situations. This scared me; I had never been given this much
responsibility before in my life.
As I stood there, waiting with my fellow camp counselors, who all seemed
bigger, taller, and far more grown up than myself, I felt both nervous
and excited at the same time. I couldn't wait for the big Greyhound
buses to pull up and for the campers to arrive. I wondered if they would
like me, and I hoped that they would look up to me, the same way I emulated
and adored all my counselors when I was a kid.
At first, I was extremely nervous to be a counselor, and I let my co-counselors
do most of the work, taking on many of the responsibilities associated
with being a counselor. But after the first day or so I got to know the
kids better. I warmed up to the idea of being in charge. Once I took hold
of my new responsibilities and my new found independence, I realized that
this job would not be as difficult as I previously imagined. I found that
looking after children was not as stressful or complicated as I had thought.
I learned to deal with the issues presented to me by my campers, how to
handle problems, and what to do in case of an emergency. I learned that
confronting my fears was one of the best things I could do; it was a great
way to learn new skills, grow, and develop to my full potential.
By the end of the summer, being responsible and looking after fourteen
nine-year-old girls became second nature to me. I found that by letting
down my guard, it became easier to do my job properly. As well, I acknowledged
the fact that by just being myself the girls would respect me for who
I am. Even at times when I wasn't 100 percent sure what to do, I
realized that I had to keep calm and do what I thought seemed best and
appropriate. By doing this, I sent the message to others that I was in
charge, that I was responsible, and that I knew what I was doing.
It wasn't until I came home from camp that I realized how amazing
this experience was for me. It wasn't until I left my camp surroundings
and situations that I actually realized how much this summer had changed
me. I now feel and act more my own age. Others always comment on how much
I have changed. Although I did not grow physically, I feel as though I
have experienced great personal growth. Since being a counselor, my taste
in music, novels, TV, and food has changed for the better.
As I sit here reflecting on what last summer meant to me including all
the great experiences I am fortunate to have had, I can greatly appreciate
what I have learned from being a counselor and the many transformations
I have gone through. When I left for camp, I was a young immature child
hoping to have some fun. I never imagined that I would come back a more
independent and responsible young adult.
Originally published in the 2005 May/June issue
of Camping Magazine. |
