It has been 20 years this summer since my childhood friend, Lauren Phelps, first said to me "Let's go to Dwight Mission". Me, always having been up for a good time said, "Let's go". And that was the first week of my life.
For the first time in my life, I go to meet myself. I got to know what it felt like to fee comfortable in my skin. Being an akward tomboy at age 11, I had been feeling uncomfortable in every sense. Physically and socially. But at camp, it all went away. Confidence shined through that hadn't been around since my earlier years, socializing became natural. BOYS like ME. Girls sometimes didn't because of that. But I felt good. I liked getting to know myself. And somewhere between singing songs and chasing boys, I met God.
I continued attending Dwight Mission camps, retreats, ski trips, anything that I could attend I did. I even missed my WORLD OM competion one year because it was during camp. Missing camp was not an option.
Summer after my freshman year in college, I found myself wondering what I was going to do for the summer. I didn't have myself in the best life situation, bad relationship, partying too much, so I knew I needed a new path, fast. One day I ran into my dear friend Nick Thompson, who I met that first summer as the akward 11 year old tomboy. He said, let's go to camp and be counselors. Well, I had ALWAYS wanted to do that so I said yes! I interviewed with one of my old counselors who was now the Program Director and he said yes! A couple of weeks before I got cold feet about leaving that relationship behind, when another good friend, Keith Anderson, who I also met that first summer, reminded me of all the reasons I wanted and needed to be there. That was it. I was going. Well, until I ran into this Tracy Brown girl in the cafeteria and found out SHE was going. GREAT. I thought. She does NOT like me, because Nick Thompson liked my friend Lauren Phelps. I didn't EVEN like Nick that way. But again, I decided to go.
Again, I can't put into words how special my first summer on staff was to me. Of course, right away, Nick and I were playing and having a ball, that Tracy Brown girl, has been my best friend since staff training, some annoying guy Josh Rogers was on staff that summer, a guy named Brian Carroll, Johnna Comptom, and SO many more- we all became friends. So I spent the summer chasing boys, singing songs, and again meeting God.
The second summer I was on staff, my good friend Keith joined, remember, the one who had to talk me ino going again? Well, he talked me into going back with him that summer. Nick was gone, but Tracy was back, along with her boyfriend who she had met at Dwight Mission as a camper. At some point that summer a life changing moment happened. Jim Burns, from Memorial Presbyterian Church in Norman, asked me to interview to be one of their youth directors. Now THIS was a shock. I couldn't believe that he saw ANY possibilities in me to do that kind of work. But again, I said yes.
After what was another WONDERFUL summer, I interviewed for the Memorial job and got it. I also moved in with Tracy Brown after spending a school year neighbors to Josh Rogers. Tracy and Tim Dowell spent the year dating and getting engaged, I worked at Memorial until one day Nick Thompson called saying that I should apply for a job at Westminster (a MUCH bigger church) as their junior high director. Well, there has been one thing I've learned in life, say "yes" to Nick. ;)
I interviewed and again got a youth director job. I still had some school left so I finished that up while working with who else? Nick. Then Nick left. But guess who replaced him? Tracy Brown. Now Dowell. All in all, I spent four years working there with two of my best friends and one of the most special ladies I have ever gotten the pleasure to meet, Linda Zahn. During my time at Westminster, I began leading a youth retreat called Youth Quake. I needed someone to lead music so I called on my old camp friend Josh Rogers. We got to hang out after what had been years a couple of times- and eventually started dating, and you know the rest.
Like I said, Dwight gave me life.
Now Josh and I have two wonderful children and we jumped on the chance to take them back to the place where it all started over Memorial Day. Now, this was a big deal for this lake bum, but MAN am I glad we went! And guess who was there? Nick Thompson, Brian Carroll, Johnna Compton, etc.etc. As well as SEVERAL kids who were in Josh, Nick, Elisa (Nick's wife, who was a youth director with Josh) or I's youth groups were now counselors. It was great.
While there I started thinking about what it means to be a "Dwightie". Most don't get it. My parents didn't. Most of my friends don't. And that's because it's hard to describe.
Being a Dwightie means singing to the top of your lungs no matter what age, it means laughing until you cry several times a day, it means you do not feel comfortable in closed toe shoes or real clothes no matter how long you've been off staff, it means you love people who you couldn't stand in the real world, it means your idea of worshiping God is outside, sweating to death, sitting on a dirty floor and loving every second, it means believing in ghosts, it means being excited that a Moose, that is clearly a DEER, found it's way home, it means being able to imagine the taste of Christine's bisquits and the red juice, it means butterflys evertime "the fence" comes into sight, it means, at one point, you may have drank your whole small group's spit, it means having friends that are closer than family, it means your ankles look naked without strings around them, it means never letting inside jokes die, it means you won't think of watermellons the same again, it means believing in true love, it means meals should always be followed by song, it means learning if something needs to be done- you do it, it means you have worked for like $1.50 an hour, it means you know how to solve problems, stay calme, and smle when things are tough, it means you will dance like a fool to pop songs at your wedding and not care! It means seeing the stars so close you feel like you can touch them, it means quick showers, hard beds, it means eatting way too many smores, it means sneaking out late at night, it means seeing others like God must see us, without fault, and full of love, it means you know your comfort zone and how important it is to push it, it means you call out "MAGIC CIRCLE" when you want to not be touched, it means crying when you have to leave and undestanding that the transition to the real world takes time. Most of all, it means only feeling truely at home when you are there.
And this weekend, my kiddos began their journey to become "Dwighties". I hope it gives them life too.
Again, I can't put into words how special my first summer on staff was to me. Of course, right away, Nick and I were playing and having a ball, that Tracy Brown girl, has been my best friend since staff training, some annoying guy Josh Rogers was on staff that summer, a guy named Brian Carroll, Johnna Comptom, and SO many more- we all became friends. So I spent the summer chasing boys, singing songs, and again meeting God.
The second summer I was on staff, my good friend Keith joined, remember, the one who had to talk me ino going again? Well, he talked me into going back with him that summer. Nick was gone, but Tracy was back, along with her boyfriend who she had met at Dwight Mission as a camper. At some point that summer a life changing moment happened. Jim Burns, from Memorial Presbyterian Church in Norman, asked me to interview to be one of their youth directors. Now THIS was a shock. I couldn't believe that he saw ANY possibilities in me to do that kind of work. But again, I said yes.
After what was another WONDERFUL summer, I interviewed for the Memorial job and got it. I also moved in with Tracy Brown after spending a school year neighbors to Josh Rogers. Tracy and Tim Dowell spent the year dating and getting engaged, I worked at Memorial until one day Nick Thompson called saying that I should apply for a job at Westminster (a MUCH bigger church) as their junior high director. Well, there has been one thing I've learned in life, say "yes" to Nick. ;)
I interviewed and again got a youth director job. I still had some school left so I finished that up while working with who else? Nick. Then Nick left. But guess who replaced him? Tracy Brown. Now Dowell. All in all, I spent four years working there with two of my best friends and one of the most special ladies I have ever gotten the pleasure to meet, Linda Zahn. During my time at Westminster, I began leading a youth retreat called Youth Quake. I needed someone to lead music so I called on my old camp friend Josh Rogers. We got to hang out after what had been years a couple of times- and eventually started dating, and you know the rest.
Like I said, Dwight gave me life.
Now Josh and I have two wonderful children and we jumped on the chance to take them back to the place where it all started over Memorial Day. Now, this was a big deal for this lake bum, but MAN am I glad we went! And guess who was there? Nick Thompson, Brian Carroll, Johnna Compton, etc.etc. As well as SEVERAL kids who were in Josh, Nick, Elisa (Nick's wife, who was a youth director with Josh) or I's youth groups were now counselors. It was great.
While there I started thinking about what it means to be a "Dwightie". Most don't get it. My parents didn't. Most of my friends don't. And that's because it's hard to describe.
Being a Dwightie means singing to the top of your lungs no matter what age, it means laughing until you cry several times a day, it means you do not feel comfortable in closed toe shoes or real clothes no matter how long you've been off staff, it means you love people who you couldn't stand in the real world, it means your idea of worshiping God is outside, sweating to death, sitting on a dirty floor and loving every second, it means believing in ghosts, it means being excited that a Moose, that is clearly a DEER, found it's way home, it means being able to imagine the taste of Christine's bisquits and the red juice, it means butterflys evertime "the fence" comes into sight, it means, at one point, you may have drank your whole small group's spit, it means having friends that are closer than family, it means your ankles look naked without strings around them, it means never letting inside jokes die, it means you won't think of watermellons the same again, it means believing in true love, it means meals should always be followed by song, it means learning if something needs to be done- you do it, it means you have worked for like $1.50 an hour, it means you know how to solve problems, stay calme, and smle when things are tough, it means you will dance like a fool to pop songs at your wedding and not care! It means seeing the stars so close you feel like you can touch them, it means quick showers, hard beds, it means eatting way too many smores, it means sneaking out late at night, it means seeing others like God must see us, without fault, and full of love, it means you know your comfort zone and how important it is to push it, it means you call out "MAGIC CIRCLE" when you want to not be touched, it means crying when you have to leave and undestanding that the transition to the real world takes time. Most of all, it means only feeling truely at home when you are there.
And this weekend, my kiddos began their journey to become "Dwighties". I hope it gives them life too.
Thanks, Kendall. Now I have *Martika* stuck in my head!!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really special place, though - I'm glad your family is able to return and enjoy it.