By Adam Kaplan
This week, no doubt, you have read about lots of cancellations: grand New Year’s Eve events, thousands of airline flights, even small family reunions. Yet again, Covid has thrown another curveball at all of us and we have had to adjust.
All of these cancellations and requisite refiguring of things got me thinking about rainy days at camp. While there are very few of us that hope for a rainy day at camp, the truth is, when a rainy day comes to camp, sometimes really wonderful things happen and are created.
In fact, I suspect that many of the boys’ most memorable days and experiences at camp have come on rainy days or in other situations when “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men. Gang aft a-gley.” (Just thought I would throw some Robert Burns into this month’s article to remind my high school English teachers, all of whom doubted whether I could write a lick, that maybe there was something going on in my head despite their doubts and lack of encouragement! Take that 1980s teachers!)
It is because of this, that despite what I said above, I actually really do look forward to the occasional rainy day at camp. It is on those rainy days that the best sleeping bag forts are constructed in cabins. It is on those rainy days that the most silly and entertaining card games are invented inside of cabins. It is on those rainy days when groups engage in farther reaching and more in-depth conversations than they normally would.
Those rainy days also force us camp administrative folks to be creative as well. One of the things that I brag most often about (besides my having turned into a decent writer without the support of my high school English teachers….yeah, maybe I’m still a bit bitter) is the fact that I cannot remember the last rainy day at camp that we decided to punt, and show a movie to the kids. I can remember many meetings on the Big House porch, as the skies opened up, in which we entertained briefly the idea of just showing a movie, and then all looking at each other and expecting more. And then moving forward with the goal of creating something fun and memorable for everyone. From these gatherings, great ideas have been borne, like all camp “minute to win it” games, a yet to be unveiled horse racing game (The weather improved that evening so the children have not yet experienced the introduction to gambling that we have planned for them!), all camp trivia games, and so many other wonderful games and events that are outside of what we normally do.
And none of these things would have ever come to pass if things went as they were supposed to. If every day had been sunny and beautiful, these amazing and truly special times would not have come to pass.
So…nothing earth shattering this month dear readers. (Yes…I know I am just talking to a single camper from Los Angeles, a committed mom in Detroit, and my dad.) I just wanted to remind us all (because I need that reminder too), that while the fatigue and disappointment that Covid-19 continues to throw at us feels overwhelming at times, it also presents us with chances to do special things and create truly indelible memories for ourselves and our families. Rainy days create opportunity.
Still…looking forward to mostly sunny days up ahead and in the summers to come.
Happy new year!