In a world of iPads and xboxes, it seems that my childhood world of playing doctor and dress up is becoming a rarity. Fortunately, here at camp, the magical world of make believe is still alive and well for both the campers and staff.
Monday night's evening program was an all camp program, which included the entire camp sitting at dinner with their new assigned camp "families." These families will meet all session long and are consisted of staff and campers. Each family had to assign certain roles to all family members. After dinner, our families had to prepare for the vow renewal ceremony for our "parents." Here's where my beloved world of make believe comes in. In my family, a young Mohican was our Mother. This Mohican was dedicated to his role in our family, dressed the part in a dress and wedding veil, he strutted his stuff, and prepared his vow for the renewal. In the real world, (aka, not at camp) many 13 year old boys would be rather reluctant to fully dedicate themselves and put forth such a tremendous effort toward acting like a woman. In another family, a senior staff member was the baby of the family, screaming at the top of his lungs. Here at camp, it is not only acceptable, but encouraged, for both campers and staff to step out of their comfort zones, spark their imaginations, and create something from nothing. The most simple activities, like pretending to be a girl, can bring such joy to staff and campers alike.
Sydney Zuckerman
