Quiet

I am an introvert but always wanted to be an extrovert. Oh to be the kind of person who is completely at ease in a crowd! I prayed for this attitude but never was granted a change of personality. Instead, I was forced to come to accept my awkwardness in (a fact that I eventually embraced!). I learned to enjoy a loud and crowded community in my own way and found that I love it!

As it turns out, I am not alone. Many of my fellow camp directors and a whole lot of our best counselors are also introverts. This year, on our Head Staff, 6 of us consider ourselves to be introverts. Many of our most loyal campers are like this too… so the question arises: “Why do introverts like camp?”.

It is easy to imagine why extroverts likes camp, for this is a densely packed community that spends all day every day with eachother. It sounds like heaven to an extrovert! The number of conversations and moments for leadership that take place in a day is really satisfying to a person who wants the spotlight… but of equal (or greater) significance is the way we celebrate deep meaningful connections with our friends and in our activities. The most celebrated personality traits at camp center around unselfishness; a character trait that introverts find easier to master. The most celebrated Evening Programs require the girls to slow down and sit quitetly and think about “meaningful things”.

Tonight we will celebrate our first quiet EP (Opening Vespers). This is one of our favorite traditions and the girls will appreciate the subtle message and beauty and love. It is a tradition that has been enjoyed by generations of Greystone Girls and we know that it will be a special night. I vividly remember my Grandmother and then my mother telling the Opening Vespers story. It is a connection that I hope the girls will latch onto. Such memories are shared when Greystone Girls get together many years after their summer at camp. They are precious and wonderful.

We gather in the pavilion in absolute silence (as much as possible at least) then sing a couple quiet Praise Songs. The sound of so many girls singing softly in the golden glow of the setting sun is magical. Everyone celebrates the spirit of the moment as we hear the simple story of the “Keeper of the flame” (a true story first told by my Great Grandfather). A group of almost 500 young girls listening to a very old story in absolute silence and lighting their candles in love is a memorable experience. Such quiet moments catch us off guard. The girls are surprised to find that they are touched by a program that many assumed would be boring.

At camp we celebrate quiet moments. While our days are loud and crazy, they are also marked by absolute silence (during announcements, rest hour, lights out and taps). During the quiet times we experience camp in a different way. We hear the wind russling the needles of the pine trees, we hear crickets and frogs, and song birds. These are the times that become special, for they are so different than our lives in the “real world”. We read books, write letters, take naps, or just sit and think. It is good for our brains and our bodies to recharge during the quiet times. Campers and Counselors alike grow to love such moments. I think it is why introverts end up liking camp so much.

Thank you for making this unbroken tradition possible for so many generations. It is a remarkable “thread” that your girls will cherish.

All is well… the temperatures will rise to a comfy 80 degrees today, not a hint of rain. We enjoyed Ham and Cheese Bagles for breakfast (a camper favorite). Lunch is shaved pork sandwiches and dinner is beef stroganoff. We are eating well!

Tomorrow night is a super fun “Challenge Day” EP. We have been getting ready for a real blow out super fun and active end to our first week together. It promises to be a lot of fun and the girls are already getting excited about it!

Have a great day…