So I am back from Troy Camp and I feel like I have this renewed appreciation for the life I have led. The kids were fabulous and I had a ton of fun, but there were a few occurrences that just made me realize how truly fortunate I have been. I was a family member which meant that I hung out with the four cabins in my color team--G2 (third grade girls), B2 (3rd grade boys), G7 (4th grade girls), and B7 (4th grade boys). It was quite different from last year when I was a cabin counselor in that I got to meet a lot more campers.
I absolutely loved B7, the fourth grade boys. They were so cute and fun. One day DJ started telling me about his family and the conversation transitioned into this conversation about violence and scary situations he had witnessed. Other kids joined in the conversation and talked about violent situations in their own families. It was the saddest thing I had ever heard. These kids had seen so much and knew about so much for being so young. They shouldn't have to know about that sort of thing and yet they spoke of it so calmly, as if it was a natural part of life. Spearmint, Fishbag, and I were on the verge of tears the whole time. Everyone listened completely silently. All the 4th graders were so respectful as well, listening intently and even asking questions when they did not understand something. Although everyone was listening, DJ was speaking directly to me, he looked at me the whole time and it made me feel special to be the confidante to such sadness. DJ had also had kidney problems his whole life and a few months ago had 3 surgeries that cured him. He said he wanted to be a surgeon and help kids like him one day. He is just so mature for a 4th grader, he talked about really respecting his parents and all that they did for him, recognizing how hard they work to give him and his brothers a good life here. His brother got a full ride scholarship to Humbolt University, and he seems to look up to his brother so much.
Another instance of sadness occured in the G7 fourth grade girls cabin. There was a girl without an arm there. She was really quiet and it was difficult to get her to engage and participate in activities. I spent a lot of time with her because I felt it was important to make her feel comfortable and included....she always seemed to be off on her own...at the end of the line...etc. I sat by her the first couple nights at campfire. Each night she cried a little bit and I would try to distract her by asking her questions and talking to her about Twilight--she was a big fan. Anyways, one night I was sitting by G2 at campfire and I noticed that she seemed to be crying. her counselor took her off to the side and a few other counselors joined them. Later I saw her being taken down the hill in a car. It wasn't until later that I found out the severity of the situation. Stephanie, that was her name, was taken down to Dr. J and she calmed down a little. She had been sobbing uncontrollably and hyperventilating. But then she started staring into the mirror and they asked her what she was looking at. She said she was looking at a face. They asked her to describe the face and she said there was a lot of hair and an eye. She said it wasn't any of the people in the room. It sounded just like a horror movie. Dr. J insisted that they take her to a psychiatric hospital immediately. Some of the counselors had to drive her all the way back to LA, where her dad met them at the hospital. This poor girl, Dr. J says that it looks like early signs of schizophrenia or another disorder that could last her whole life. It is so scary. Her mother left her family when she was two as well. She has no arm, no mother, is painfully shy, and now a serious psychiatric disorder. It doesn't get much worse.
I know I just talked about lots of sad stuff, but there was tons of happiness too. There was this adorable little girl in G2 who just melted my heart. She moved to the US two years ago and is fluent in English, but would use the funniest phrases and mix up prepositions and stuff. It was literally the most adorable thing ever! She would say things like "take a fart", "have you touched a girl?" (in reference to wanting to give the cootie shot), etc. One of the fourth grade boys flopped on his bed and complained to me that he would just never be good with girls. Another 4th grader at lunch made me cry when he said "no offense or anything, but you know Mario Kart? Because Adrian looks exactly like Bowser." I died laughing...and started cracking up midway through the meal as well. Every time I looked at Adrian--because he really did look like Bowser!
This was a fantastic week. I feel like the kids got a ton out of it, but so did the counselors as well.
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