Camp. Camp Tockwogh.

Hello,

Well I'm back from the depths of summer. I love summer vacation but with summer vacation comes a summer job. Dun dun dun. However, I have the best job of all during the summer months. Summer camp! Not just any summer camp, Camp Tockwogh on the Chesapeake Bay. A place where magic ensues for children ages 7-17. Younger kids are comforted by caring and patient counselors, while the older kids have older role models and good influences to look up to.

I live in the middle of those two ages. I have 11-13 year old girls in my cabin every session. The best of times and the worst of times. There are tears over boys, bodies, and missing denim abercrombie shorts. That's actually a real story I had to live through. It's a funny age for kids to go through and my experiences are living proof. I never in my life realized the pressures that pre-teen girls go through, and it might seem so silly to us but it's a very real concept for them.

For example, we have a dance every session for the 11-13 year old age group. The counselors had to live through about 5 of these dances through out the summer, so we start to lose our steam after the second one. We always have a theme for the dances that only the counselors get into because we love to dress up! Besides, what pre-teen wants to dress up as a pirate for our pirates vs. ninjas theme? Not many. So instead of dressing to the theme, there is a certain protocol that apparently all 13 year old girls must adhere to.

Here it is:
~ Plain colored flip flops
~ Denim or colored shorts
~ Sugar lips (or other tight fitting tank top)
~ Cammy with cute top over it
~ Crop top
~ NO JEWELRY
~ Black eye liner, mascara, and eye shadow
~ Straight hair or some type of braid
*Dresses may be suitable as long as 1 to 2 of friends are wearing them as well

A Picture of my 2nd session girls before the dance. Notice the attire.

Then notice the counselor in the background wearing a super hero costume.

See what I mean?

Here are the counselors. Notice how I am the only

one not in costume (I am holding a Thor hammer though)?

I had no idea that this was such an important part of going to the dances that this shocked me. I was taking my cabin to the dance after an hour and a half of getting ready, pictures, and comparing outfits. We're halfway to the rec hall when a girl comes bawling out of her cabin wearing a pink top and running shorts. She started going on and on about how she didn't have jean shorts and no one in her cabin was her size and she didn't want to go to the dance looking like THIS. I said "Come to my cabin we'll find you something!" So of course none of my clothes fit her because she's a size 2 and I'm a size 8. When I told her I had dresses she sobbed even harder about how none of her friends were wearing dresses. In my head I rolled my eyes... but I felt sorry for her. I grabbed another counselor from a cabin that hadn't left yet. She looked about the same size as the crying camper. I explained to her why she was upset and if she could lend her any of her clothes then she would stop crying. She had just the right pair of jean shorts for her that were from american eagle. Perfect. Then the girl turns to me and says "Do you know how to french braid?" No I don't. So that meant another trip to find a counselor who could. Finally, hair french braided and jean shorts on, she asked me to do her make up because she didn't have any. This girl warmed my heart.

I didn't realize how sensitive girls were to these kinds of things. I was a girl and I don't remember caring all that much about how I looked. I often times showed up to school with wet hair from showering that morning while other girls had dry, straightened hair. It just goes to show that this is a reality for them, no matter how silly we all think it is.

I love camp. I really do. It has nothing to do with selfish means and everything to do with FTK (for the kids). And if you're in it for the money, you're in the wrong place because some of the things I do, like helping a crying girl with the peer pressure to fit in, is something I'll never get paid enough for.

In this economy, you'd think it'd be more cost effective to stand out instead of fitting in. Just a thought.

Love,

Lou