Sorrow and Joy, Carving

So I have this theory about camp. Because the thing, you see, is that there is a very limited amount of freedom, and when you have no car and are miles away from any sort of public transportation or civilization you start to get a bit stir-crazy sometimes. Cabin Fever as the pirates will tell you. And they will tell you, because contrary to what we all thought, pirates still exist and we all still love them and wish them the best success even though they may be possibly looting our cargo. Every person I talk is completely stoked that pirates still exist. And every single one of them roots for pirates over cargo ships from the U.S. or the U.K. of wherever they are from, every time. Because pirates are awesome and we from post-modern era, miss the swashbuckling, seafaring adventures, of a simpler time not crowded with white collar monotony and a boring 21st century world.

This last week at camp we just got done with a themed “Ninjas vs. Pirates Week.” I think I dressed like a pirate every single day, and it was glorious. At campfire we sang Pirate songs and us counselors pretended that our lives weren’t dull and drab and dresses up like the rogues of the day (just kidding about the dull, drab part but seriously—I wish I was a pirate.)

Anyways, as I was saying about camp you only get so much time. So that little time that you do get off is the best three hours you’ve ever had. Going into Gresham has never been so glorious as it is right now. Especially when you get a night off. Oh! A whole night! I am almost in heaven, right now, so content, sitting and watching some movie in the staff lounge, the slounge as we call it. So content sitting on the corner of a street in Gresham smoking a cigarette (just a metaphor if any of my family is reading this) and watching the sunset. I am actually listening to music. Music! Can you believe it? No, you probably can’t, unless you’ve worked at a camp or similar job. But believe me when I tell you that it is good.

I was reading the Prophet the other day by Kahil Gibran and there’s a section about joy and sorrow. He says that joy and sorrow are inseparable; you can’t have one without the other. The amount of sorrow that carves out your soul simply makes room for the joy. I think it’s like that. The amount of hard work or sorrow or grief just makes the amount of joy or relief you experience just that much better. That’s how it feels at camp at least, and I’m pretty sure that’s how life is as well.