talk to the animals

Last night was one of my final Spring Concerts at a local school. Every year the director does a "theme" program where the kids can sing pop style songs, provided it's in the theme. Well, last night was the middle school program and the theme was "Talk to the Animals" The kids brought in tons and tons of stuff animals to decorate the front of the stage, and then they were being donated to the women's AWARE shelter after the concert. They song numerous songs all of which mentioned an animal of sorts... like Close to You, by the Carpenters, All things Bright and Beautiful, Longer etc etc....

So, I was perusing the stage, chuckling at the GIANT snow leopard that was lounging on the grand piano, when I spotted it. A small monkey, with a familiar looking shirt. A animal about the size of what I knew so well. I went and pulled it out of the blow up palm tree, and true true.. it was exactly that.. A small monkey with a Camp Barakel shirt on it! I was thrilled. My mind raced to all of those stupid, ahem i mean silly animals i bought as a kid growing up.... What kid goes to Camp Barakel I thought? So, I looked on the back of the animal (if the kids didn't want to donate their animal they could put their name on it so they could get it back).. there it was.. LARISSA... I went and asked the director who Larissa was, because well, there are 100+ kids, I don't have a CLUE who it is. If you're lucky, I"ll know you're name when you're a senior. :) So, Bill, points her out and says, Larissa, Mrs Youngman wants to talk with you. Poor kid, she looked scared stiff. WHY does Mrs. Y want to talk with me? She walks up to stage, looking like perhaps she had met her death sentance.

And then I begin the questioning...

you've gone to camp barakel? summer? winter? how long have you gone? i grew up going there? yup, i was a counselor there. that place has been a part of my life for as long as i can possibly remember... I was practically ready to burst into Camp Barakel Camp Barakel we're glad to turn again... the kid was just staring at me looking bewildered then slowly, ever so slowly...relief crept across her face and she said... oh, i thought i was in trouble. :) poor girl. all i wanted to do was grill her about camp.

turns out. she's gone once, she said, it was only one night and it was "cold, really cold". winter camp, i said? and she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, i just followed the crowd onto the bus mrs. y i have no idea. my excited talking quickly subsided and i encouraged her to go to summer camp through her church if she could. she walked back to her seat, i'm sure relieved to not be talking to said crazy piano lady any longer.