Why camp? Why now?

"What's hiking?" A simple question with so much depth that I hadn't previously considered. This was the question asked by a roughly 8 yr old little boy with Skeletal Dysplasia (commonly referred to as "dwarfism") when I visited Camp Korey in June.  The boy became instant besties with my little dog, PeeWee, guiding him around the garden & pastures introducing him to other visitors. As the event wrapped up, I told the boy that PeeWee and I were leaving to go hiking, when the innocent question was posed to me. I gave him the answer of "a walk in the woods" but what silently struck me was the truth of the matter; "hiking is an activity that I am privileged to participate in because my health status allows it."

Here I was at Camp Korey, committed to helping empower young people with physical & medical limitations, forgetting how fortunate I am to do outdoor recreation at my leisure. I mourned this freedom when I was struggling with Lymes as an adult, but even then I knew that with enough determination, my physical limitations could be temporary. The kids at Camp Korey are not experiencing temporary set-backs; these are serious life-altering conditions, for the entirety of their lives. Most people with the desire to go hiking, swimming, zip lining, or horseback riding can do so without a medical team in waiting to check their vitals, change a catheter, load/unload their wheelchairs, or monitor their oxygen intake. Most any parent would want their child to live his or her life fully, to not have their child sit on the sidelines, to not have their child depressingly accept that they don't get to do what other kids get to, and to not have to trade in childhood fun for expensive medical care.

As I hiked that day a hauntingly beautiful song I learned at camp came to my mind, "Barges." The song is about watching ships silently pass by us in the night and dreaming of adventure. The legend, which I don't know if its true, is that it was written by a young girl who is wheelchair bound. The final verse "How I wish I could sail away with you. I would like to sail the ocean blue. But I must sit behind my window Dear as I watch you sail away from here."  There are infinite reasons we often don't get to live out the adventures we dream of: money, time, commitments, physical limitations and lack of privilege to name a few. Childhood is a precious and fleeting time in our lives when we don't have the autonomy to create opportunities for ourselves. But kids are also very aware of what they are missing out on; whether its kids at school reading their "What I did on my summer vacation" essays in the Fall or watching a summer camp comedy on television, kids know. This is why Camp Korey is such an extraordinary organization. By providing a medically sound environment, kids who could not otherwise attend summer camp for medical reasons are finally given the chance to know what their peers are privileged to experience at other outdoor camps. The youth have a variety of medical issues including but not limited to: Autism, Spina Bifida, Skeletal Dysplasia, burn survivors, sickle cell, metabolic and mitochondrial diseases. Camp gives these kids a chance to enjoy outdoor experiences and have fun with other kids who are going through similar life circumstances. Additionally, parents are given the peace of mind that their financial circumstances, already burdened by doctor bills and medical equipment, do not create a limiting factor. Camp Korey is provided at zero cost to the families by the grace of countless generous donors like yourselves.

My Personal Camp Story:
I never would've known the incredibly transformative experience of summer camp if my Jr High English teacher, Dan Mohrbacher, hadn't intervened in the course of my life by arranging scholarships to send my sister and I to CYO summer camp. (CYO is not affiliated with Camp Korey) While I had many privileges in my life, affluency was not one of them, and attending camp like my peers was something I understood was not an option for my life circumstance. My family had the classic dysfunctional side-effects of poverty which left me as a young person depressed and even hopeless at times. While it sounds overly dramatic, summer camp saved my life. During a time in my life when I felt worthless and unlovable, I was swept away on sail boats, cheered on at skit night, ate a smorgasbord of food, danced like no one was watching, and swayed arm in arm around campfires singing songs about living life to its fullest. When I couldn't pass the swim test nobody laughed or judged. We took bets on who could go the longest without showering and stopped caring about the appearances society conditioned us to embrace as teenage girls. And when I failed to follow directions, counselors lovingly helped me build character rather than enabling me or punishing me.  Summer camp gave me skills that set me up for a healthier adulthood. As much as I would try to keep the summer camp high all year, the depressing circumstances of home & school life would eventually return. I started dating a controlling boy who told me he was the only one who would ever love me, and at 15 I believed him. When I returned from camp after my 2nd summer, my renewed glow made my oldest sister cry. She tearfully sobbed "You're back! I mean YOU are back!" Indeed, and empowered enough to ditch my abusive boyfriend.

At Sundown we'd gather at the water to play guitar, sing & share our reflections on the day.

1997 Camp Gallagher All-Girls Quilcene Lodge. Proudly sitting on the driftwood bench we built.

I went to camp for 4 amazing summers. I spent my college summers as a CYO camp counselor trying to pay forward to other young people the precious gift I was given. As a professional I would save my paid time off and spend it mentoring at summer camp rather than take normal adult vacations for several years. I volunteered with the Sierra Club for 3 years taking inner-city middle school kids on outdoor adventures. And this last year I mentored with the Center for Spiritual Living's Coming of Age Program. And yet, I continue to feel I haven't done enough to pay forward the Good.

In January, I was at the Grease Monkey for a routine oil change on my Lyft vehicle. Passing time I read emails and learned that Lyft was tweeking our daily summaries so we would now know which riders left us tips. This simple update brought me joy because in my heart I could now connect my gratitude to the individuals. With nothing much else to do I closed my eyes and reflected on the cycle of gratitude and how wonderful it feels to complete the circle. I started thinking about all that I was grateful for in my life and how many times in my life I have failed to complete that circle of gratitude. When I opened my eyes, I looked to my right where another customer sat. I knew that man, Jeff Lynass. Jeff was my Lodge Leader at camp that 3rd year, 1997 my favorite summer of them all, at age 16. I knew he wouldn't remember me 17 years later, but having just manifested an opportunity to express gratitude to someone who deeply impacted my life, I hesitantly confirmed it was him. I think I looked like I saw a ghost but in all my awkwardness I thanked him and told him that he forever changed my life.

This experience left me thinking... that for all the time I have given as an adult on the front lines mentoring young people, just as Jeff did, I haven't done enough for the gratitudinal debt I have acquired. I have been there holding young people high just as I needed adults to do for me. While every child has unique needs and can benefit from summer camp, I have used my time & talents mostly helping kids with enough privilege to be there in the 1st place. What have I done to create opportunity? What have I done to send kids to camp who otherwise wouldn't get the life changing experience? Without the money to contribute to a scholarship fund, how could I use my passion to open doors for more challenged youth? I sat with this for a month. Then the Development Coordinator from Camp Korey sat down in my Lyft and suggested I climb Mt Rainier to help send truly challenged kids to their summer camp. Six days earlier I had bucket listed climbing Mt. Rainier for other soulful reasons. Ok, Universe, you win again.

So now I am 3 days away from the biggest task of my life, a summit attempt of Mt. Rainier Aug. 18th-20th. I have been conditioning and fundraising for over 5 months. I am proud to say that I have raised over $1,000 and I feel deep gratitude to every person who donated even just $2 at a time. There are countless worthy causes in this world and the need for donors will always exist. This is more than I have raised for any cause ever and it feels amazing to have the power to bring enough people together to be a force for Good.  There is a down side however, in that I am still about $4000 shy of the actual final fundraising goal pledged. Camp Korey has graciously given me until Sept 1st to procure these funds. So I end today's post again for humble requests that 1.) If you see the Good of Camp Korey to give if you can 2.) to spread this blog so that others may see the opportunity to give to this amazing cause and 3.) Pray for me. Hold me in your hearts as I embark on an incredibly strenuous journey and push my body beyond all limitations. Send me energy, strength, endurance, courage and vitality through the Loving Oneness that Connects us All. Aho mitakuye oyasin.