Camp--it will always be with me

Camp season is over. I didn't work camp this summer, but I did work as a CentriKid staffer the four summers before this one. (I wrote a few guest posts about camp at this blog.)

There are a few habits I picked up from camp, though, that I just can't shake off. Here are 7 of them:

1) The 90-second testimony

During training, we learn to give our testimony in 90 seconds--approximately the attention span of an elementary student. I became so good at this, that I don't even use all 90 seconds to tell my faith journey. Outside of camp (and sometimes during camp, actually), the 90 second testimony is kind of strange. People expect you to talk for much longer, so it's a little awkward when you finish 78 seconds later. I now try (sometimes successfully) to remember to include more details, but it is still a struggle to overcome my habit.

2) The Budget-Line

When you load and unload a Budget (or Ryder) truck full of boxes, pool noodles, sound equipment, archery targets, and a sno cone machine once a week for about 8 weeks, it's best to form a line and pass things, assembly-line style. I think this is how everything should be moved and I'm often disappointed to find that no one else believes this.

3) The Debrief

At camp, we say that anything can lead to a conversation about Christ, and try to make that happen as much as possible. We call these little Christ-application moments "debriefs." I have, in all seriousness, gone from a light-hearted discussion of a little girl's stuffed lion into a full presentation of the gospel. We would jokingly "practice" this debriefing in our free time using songs ("Ridin' Dirty" is about accountability, and the friends you choose to associate with) and other silly situations. To this day, given almost any topic, I am certain that I could figure out a way to present a biblical truth.

4) The Motions

Having served as a "back-up dancer"/motions instructor many times (once for an entire summer), it is difficult for me to hear songs sung at camp and not jump around/wave my arms/look like an idiot. I'm also pretty skilled at making up motions on the spot. Just sayin'...

5) The Alternate Lyrics

At camp, we take popular songs and change them to apply to our teams for "cheers." There are some songs that I remember the alternate lyrics to before I remember the real ones. It is slightly annoying.

6) The Games

Give me 25 kids and no props, and I can come up with 5 games to play without even having to think, not including tag. Don't believe me? Eleven, Captain's Coming, 60 seconds, Squirrels in Trees, and Look Up, Look Down. Add some rec equipment, and the possibilities are practically endless.

7) The Unmarketable Skills

Along with the skills listed above, I can also french braid, make balloon animals, fill and tie hundreds of water balloons in record time, drive a 12-passenger van, scoop a beautiful sno cone, and decorate a classroom using only butcher paper. These skills are excellent ones to have at camp...and maybe a carnival. But in the real world, not quite as impressive as an internship at a publishing house.

The truth is, I would have been more "successful" career-wise, if I had gotten an internship or a "real" job in the summers, instead of working camp. I would have gained skills that would help me make money, instead of skills that would help me be a carnie. But camp was my dream job. I grew and learned more (in addition to the amazing skills listed above) at camp than I believe I would have otherwise. I would never trade in those summers.