What Matters

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Steve Jobs gave the commencement address for the Stanford graduates of 2005. I listened to it for the first time this year while preparing for counselor orientation and I was really impressed. You have most likely listened to it before, if not do so… it is really good. Many parts of it resonate as true, particularly his portion on death:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Steve Jobs was a brilliant visionary and he responded to the obvious fact of mortality in a positive manner… incomplete but positive. At camp, we would celebrate such a response (and we would add the part about Jesus)… with such a perspective any girl at camp could grow up to change the world.

At camp it is easy to see what matters. We see it in the people that surround us (how they treat each other, how they respond when they make a mistake, how they see good even when it is hard to do so) and the truths that are taught (at cabin devotions and morning assembly). The weird COVID rules about social distancing, masking, and cohorts seemed to be a big deal before the summer and lots of campers dropped out because of the changes required… but I have to admit that once you are actually at camp those concerns evaporate like a light dew on a summer morning. It just doesn’t matter.

Today we tested to assure that there is no COVID at camp. This was something we REALLY didn’t want to do (the risk is very small and we feared for the camper experience) but when every health authority (CDC, APA, NCDH, ACA) included testing as a recommendation for residential summer camps we didn’t think we had a choice. We have always followed health and safety recommendations, especially when they are unanimous with all authorities. How could we do otherwise in this situation?

We shouldn’t have worried. Our Testing and Donut party took exactly 10 minutes this morning and was nothing but fun. We gathered for flag and everyone who needed a saliva test did so as a cabin group. We played music and dismissed each cabin as they finished… then the cabin got a big box of fresh donuts as they walked to the FORT. Dr. Margaret did a great job organizing everything, the Group Leaders assisted, the Nurses gathered the samples, and the testing company picked everything up and rushed to the lab. If there is any news we will tell you… but know that no news is good news! We are praying! This is the last big challenge of June Camp, we are sure God is in this detail too.

Last night’s Team Fires EP was spectacular! The best Team Fires ever. Hands down… and done with social distancing constraints… amazing. Campers always embrace team competition, singing the old camp team songs and chanting the old camp team cheers, but this year was particularly pumped up and exuberant. LOUD just begins to describe the sound of the competing cheers across the lake. Our neighbors up the valley would surely have heard the roars and known that something was going on at “that camp”. This was particularly surprising since it appeared that the campers were ready for a rest! I never would have predicted such a moment.

Some details of the day: