109: Notes on Camp
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It's a typical camp. All the normal activities canoeing, archery, sports. There are two girls who everybody calls the homesick girls, who will cheerfully identify themselves that way. To anybody they meet. I do, I swear to God, I want to go home. I want to go home, too. Including me. Because it's a pretty upscale camp. There's also horseback riding. And on the rifle range, suburban girls from Chicago's North Shore lay on their bellies in sniper position, while a real former Israeli soldier barks orders about how to shoot. I know it's really hard for you ladies to keep it quiet, but try, okay? Aim and fire. The boys' cabins are all named after Indian tribes. The girls' cabins are all named after women's colleges. So, perky little suburban kids are constantly informing you, "I'm an Apache. I'm Mohawk. I'm in Vassar. I'm in Brynmar." And it seems pretty simple, but everybody here will tell you. No one back home understands it. None of their friends, nobody. There is just a gap between camp people and non-camp people. I know, like, all the time during school, I'm like, "I want to go to camp. I want to do this." Camp is all I talk about during the year. Really? Yeah, my friends get so mad at me. They're like, "We don't want to hear about camp anymore." 'Cause, like, everything that goes on at home, you can always think of something that, like, relates something that happened at camp. And so then you tell that, and they'll be like, "Camp. We've heard about camp. Way too much." It's also, like, little stories you tell, and, like, you think they're so funny, and everybody in your cabin understands them, and then you go home and you're laughing, and they have, they give you, like, a look like what are you talking about, and, like, that's stupid. Well, today in our program, we try to bridge the gap between camp people and non-camp people. We try to understand what is the cult-like, mystical connection some people feel with their summer camps. From W.B. E.C. Chicago, from public radio to national, to this American life, I'm out of glass. Today on our program, Notes on Camp, six different notes. Some recorded out of summer camp, and some amazing stories that actually came from you, people who listened to this program, and called us up to talk camp. Stay with us. [NON-ENGLISH SINGING] Most of today's program takes place in Michigan, not far from Paw Paw, two affiliated camps, greenwoods and lake of the woods, one is a boys' camp, one's a girls' camp. But they sit on the same land, they share everything, basically they function as one camp. Producer Julie Snyder and I spend a fair amount of time there. Julie usually hung out with the girls. I usually stay with the boys. Here, then, our findings. Note number one, Mr. Popular. Let's try the course again, because something in that last part is weird. Councillors David Hemmel and Dean Hines practice a song for Saturday night's camp show. Right, ready? Yeah. Okay. [MUSIC] She'd always be there for him. In spite of all his faults, he was the worst guy ever.
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