(no subject)
So, I just got back last night from being a 1st time counselor at CMU music camp!!!! Oh it was awesome. Ok so I barely slept and I spent most of my days in a total incoherent daze, but it was so much FUN! I got to give sectionals, perform with the cello/bass choir and tell kiddies what to do. Sort of. Actually I barely had any responsibility at all... which in a way was nice, but hopefully next year I can do more.
Being a counselor I think really made a difference in myself, strangely enough. I had a responsibility I'd never had before, and it felt good to be down at summer camp again. I loved doing sectionals, even if the 1st chair cellist had a little bit too much ego, but they were ALL good kids. Not even lying, every kid there was great. They ranged from 12-19 in age, but their age/instrument/gender whatever didn't make any difference, I liked talking to all of them. I made it my mission the first few days to randomly sit with some kids I'd never talked to before. I remember being at camp in previous years and kind of being intimidated by the counselors because they didn't interact with the campers too much, so I wanted to change that.
I also had a life-changing experience by having some conversations with one particular camper. I was friends with him last summer, and so it was hard for me to try and stay "above" him since I was a counselor this year. He was being somewhat obnoxious (in a cry-for-help type of way) the first few days so I finally asked him if he was OK... emotionally. He denied everything and said he was fine, but after only about 2 minutes he spilled his guts. We had a couple talks after that, and his attitude around camp almost completely transformed. And I felt so honored that he felt he could trust me enough with all of these things he'd never tell anyone else. One of the first things he said to me when I said I was worried about him because of how he was acting/talking/etc, was "Well, it's nice to know somebody cares, nobody notices". It broke my heart. So what I meant earlier by "life-changing" was that I now look at everything I have in a completely new perspective. Out of respect I won't mention what he told me, but looking at my life, it's pretty damn good. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes, and I have a deep respect for him now. Seeing into the eyes of someone who has had it so rough just makes me want to help out more, be a better person and just do everything I can that's RIGHT. I wish it didn't have to take hearing such a sad story to finally realize I should do that though.
Being a counselor I think really made a difference in myself, strangely enough. I had a responsibility I'd never had before, and it felt good to be down at summer camp again. I loved doing sectionals, even if the 1st chair cellist had a little bit too much ego, but they were ALL good kids. Not even lying, every kid there was great. They ranged from 12-19 in age, but their age/instrument/gender whatever didn't make any difference, I liked talking to all of them. I made it my mission the first few days to randomly sit with some kids I'd never talked to before. I remember being at camp in previous years and kind of being intimidated by the counselors because they didn't interact with the campers too much, so I wanted to change that.
I also had a life-changing experience by having some conversations with one particular camper. I was friends with him last summer, and so it was hard for me to try and stay "above" him since I was a counselor this year. He was being somewhat obnoxious (in a cry-for-help type of way) the first few days so I finally asked him if he was OK... emotionally. He denied everything and said he was fine, but after only about 2 minutes he spilled his guts. We had a couple talks after that, and his attitude around camp almost completely transformed. And I felt so honored that he felt he could trust me enough with all of these things he'd never tell anyone else. One of the first things he said to me when I said I was worried about him because of how he was acting/talking/etc, was "Well, it's nice to know somebody cares, nobody notices". It broke my heart. So what I meant earlier by "life-changing" was that I now look at everything I have in a completely new perspective. Out of respect I won't mention what he told me, but looking at my life, it's pretty damn good. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes, and I have a deep respect for him now. Seeing into the eyes of someone who has had it so rough just makes me want to help out more, be a better person and just do everything I can that's RIGHT. I wish it didn't have to take hearing such a sad story to finally realize I should do that though.