Shame Story (Campfire)

Camp is one of my favorite places in the world. I have been going to Phantom Lake YMCA camp since I was 8 years old. Now, I am 15 year’s old and I am starting the counseling program. Already the camp experience feels different. The first day, is nerve racking because my campers have arrived. The youngest camper is 9 years old, while the oldest is 11. For many of my campers it is their first year. So the counselors of our cabin, consisting of the head counselor Alex and his two counselors in training being Gordon and I, give a tour to the campers. We also play many bonding activities as we wait for tonights main event, the campfire. After dinner it is time for the campfire and I recall my first camp experience.

I was 8 years old and sleep-away camp was a new thing. I would be away from my home and parents for a whole week, but at least both of my sisters would be there as well as some other campers I knew from Oak Park. It is hard to recall most of the first day, but I will never forget the campfire.

As my cabin and I walk up campfire hill, I am excited and nervous. The campfire is a ritual that is performed the first night of camp every single week. At the campfire the staff puts on skits, everybody sings, and the campers get their first feel of camp. I am nervous because I signed up for a skit and hopefully I don’t embarrass myself like I did when I was 8.

I remember seeing my sisters and people I knew in the crowd of campers. We had been singing songs, and there was many skits. Then the camp director came out and started talking about the history of camp. At the end of his speech he asked everyone in camp to stand up for where they were from.

It is fun watching my campers look so excited about camp. I was very curious about how they would like the campfire, but it is going great. Then I hear the land activities director say, “Next on deck is the Invisible Bench Skit.” Now I am very nervous because that is my skit. There is really no reason to be nervous, but I always get nervous anyways. Then the song we are singing finishes and it is time for the skit.

The camp director first told everyone to stand up if they were from Wisconsin. Many of the kids stood up. Then the director said to stand up if you were from Illinois and many people including me stood up. Finally the director said that if you are from any where else, that you should stand up. I have no idea why but I stood up. Then the director asked each individual person where they were from. As I was waiting my turn I looked over to my sister and she seemed to be telling me to sit down. I didn’t know why so I kept waiting. Then when it was my turn, he asked where I was from and I said “Chicago,” because most people don’t know where Oak Park is. I heard a chuckle from the crowd as I sat down. The director gave me a confused look and moved on. I was confused for a second why it was so funny that I said where I lived, until it dawned on me that I was an idiot. Chicago is in Illinois.

The skit worked out great and as the other counselors and I return to our seats, we can hear the campers laughing at our great efforts. A little later the director asks where we are from and I stand up for Illinois. When he asks about the people from other places around the world at the camp, I laugh to myself about how I was an idiot my first day of camp. It was an event I thought about every single year at the camp fire, and even now I still think about it and shake my head.