Yesterday I went back to camp. A place that I have fond memories of and a place that also has some heartache. I left camp in 1987 and never looked back. I walked away feeling empty and sad. From time to time I was drawn back into camp through newsletters and a chance meeting. Most of the time, I kept camp quiet.
Camp was a cool place where I got to do all kinds of things outdoorsy and fun. Swimming in a crystal clear lake, camping, playing, and having a great time with people from all over the world. I built friendships. I can tell you that I loved every single minute. I spent more time at camp as a counselor than a camper. That kind of alters my perspective, most spend more time as a camper.
I became a Junior Maine Guide at this camp. I learned to fire a gun, and I also got to have a bunch of sisters. I come from a family of three, two brothers and I, no sisters. It was so fun to have a cabin full of sisters my age.
Seven summers of bliss till the last day of camp. A close friend and I had been through our CIT and early counselor training together, she was the first person I met at camp. We did everything together. I was a swimmer and she loved canoeing, and everything related to that side of the waterfront. Not to say that she was not a swimmer. We all were lifeguards at the waterfront. I was a swimming teacher and I did a bunch of other things as well. I don't think that I ever taught riding, not really my thing.
Hey Heather will you get to the point. Last day of camp 1987, my friend had an early start to her college and she was taking the bus back to Portland to get her flight and to escort the other campers to their flights. I can't remember exactly what happened, there was something, and we must have had a falling out, time does heal the wounds. She got on the bus and never said good-bye, rode off to the airport, never to be heard from again. Please do not label this a a sexual thing, we were BFFs at camp. Camp was small 100 campers per season.
I walked back to my cabin to begin the final cleaning of the cabin, mind you her sister was my co-counselor and she was on the bus back to the airport. I was cleaning up my cabin and getting ready for the rest of the day which included helping the owners close up camp. All the canoes, sailboats and everything else was put away for the winter. This process happened over a period of three or four days. While I was cleaning my shack, I realized that it was over. My time at camp was over. I was not going to be returning to camp in any form, at least in the near future. I was in college and I wanted to get going on that life of mine.
I haven't heard from my friend in 19 years. I don't expect to hear from her ever. I would love to reconnect, doubtful that she will. I have heard that she has a family, and other obligations. It wasn't meant to be.
I went back yesterday to the 110 anniversary of camp. I saw a lot of friends from my camp days. I went back to the logs and browsed through the pictures. Memories came flooding back. It was fun and sad.
