Kids have been asking about Camp AJ since we started going into the schools in September. I remember one girl in particular asking us when summer camp would be starting again. (Um, not until the summer. It is called “summer camp.”) A few weeks ago, the inquiries about camp started up again and that same girl even brought in her brochure from last year. It was clearly well-loved, as evidenced by the worn-out creases that tore when she let her friend look at it. (Luckily I was able to smooth over that near-disaster with a piece of tape). Eager to get her hands on a new brochure, she asked us if we had any. We told her no, we hadn’t printed any out yet, and she asked us when they’d be ready. “Next month,” we said. “Ok, so as soon as it’s March, you’ll have them?” “Well, no, it will probably be more toward the end of March.” “Oh,” she said, looking a little sad, but I assured her that as soon as we made the new brochures, she would have one. Naturally, she asked about them again today. (And we still haven’t made them, being a little preoccupied with getting the camp in order for WorkFest.)

I find myself starting to get a little irritated at the constant requests for brochures. To me, summer seems ages away… after WorkFest and Kick Butts Day and the teen retreat… but then I remember what it was like when I got home from Girl Scout camp. All my non-camp friends got really irritated at my nonstop talk about camp, and I’m pretty sure my parents were ready to send me back for repeatedly singing camp songs. I have a ton of great memories from the couple weeks I spent at horse camp as well as the countless times my Girl Scout troop went camping. I actually still remember a lot of the songs, and about a month ago at dinner my housemates and I had a wonderful time comparing songs from our different camps (turns out the Girl Scouts are rather morbid – who knew?) Camps in general are places that many people hold sacred, and Camp AJ is no different. In fact, it is probably more special than most because it is the only opportunity many of the kids will have to do anything like this. Most Camp AJ campers come from families who would never be able to afford a $200 a week camp. At $10 a week, Camp AJ gives campers a safe place to just be kids. I don’t speak from experience, because I’ve yet to enjoy the magic that is summer camp at AJ, but I’ve heard enough stories and seen enough pictures to know that it is an incredible place to be. And when I remember that, I find myself wondering when we’re finally going to print out some brochures.

“It’s where we go, and what we do when we get there, that tells us who we are.” – Joyce Carol Oats

Erin C. is a long-term volunteer in Educational and Recreational Programming. She is a member of the Jackson Volunteer Community.