Opening Day

Opening Day at Camp Sea Gull. The kids are unpacked and ready to have a great month. It’s different unpacking and settling two campers in the drop off window of time. I did not have much time at all to walk around, see the new cabins, or see the Grandparent’s recognition area where my mom and dad are listed along with their 5 grandchildren that have attended Camp. There was too much to do and then they were kicking us out. Okay, actually Rich was kicking us out. We could have stayed...right?

Grant's Cabin

Grant's View

As I was busy unpacking and going to the camp store and visiting with as many people as I could before Rich pulled me away, Rich was patiently helping Grant figure out the combination to his lock. Grant had forgotten what 3 number code he set it too. For awhile yesterday it was 919 (our area code). Then it was 911 (cause its easy to remember), but then apparently Grant changed it once again. He never told me that he changed it, and of course he could not remember it. 


Grant was rather stressed about the whole thing. What on earth was he going to do without a lock? Where could he get a new lock and how could we fix this. I thought to myself that locks are meaningless at camp. As a camper, I never had a lock. The only reason people used them was to keep the locker closed— a latch of sorts that held everything in. And for many of us a clothes pin served that purpose. There was no need to lock things up at camp.  It was safe. Heck, I still leave the car keys in the car! It’s standard practice! But apparently, things have changed and kids feel the need to have a lock. 

So, back to Rich and the lock. There he sat, on the front porch of Cabin 15 determined to solve the problem. “Don’t buy a new lock” he said as I headed to the Camp Store. 

He started with 0-0-1. Nope.

Then went to 0-0-2. Nope. 

0-0-3. . . 0-0-4. . . 0-0-5. . . 0-0-6. . . . and on and on. 

1-4-3. . . 1-4-4. . . 1-4-5. . . 1-4-6. . .  no end in sight. 

Nevertheless, he persisted. Until, CLICK. He discovered the winning combination. 4-0-3. Four-hundred-and-three attempts. I would have given up at 0-1-0. 

Rich asked Grant at the end why he ended up choosing that combination yesterday. “Cause of the flag in the office,” he replied. Rich’s purple battalion flag hanging on the wall with 403 on it, for the 403rd CA Battalion. Not so sure if Rich appreciated the overture. But at least it made sense to our 7 year old. And for four hundred and two attempts it allowed me to stay longer at camp.

Thank you for not using 0-0-9, Grant. You bought me more time.

Cue Alice Cooper

2018

The boys just finished school for the year and are now embracing summer vacation before they go off to camp. TJ can enjoy sleeping in and Grant gets a little extra time on the iPad in the morning. The simple pleasures of summer vacation.

1978-ish

I remember grade school and those last few days of the school year.  Pine Tree Elementary sat on a hill on Pine Tree Road, on the southwest side of Monroe. At the time it served K-6^th grade. It was only a few miles from our house.  The school year in New York ran after Labor Day and through mid-June. By the time the year ended the weather was definitely warming up.  This meant that the teachers would all open the windows in the classrooms and a breeze would blow through the classes, into the halls, and circulate throughout the building. It seemed to bring the prospects of the summer with it.

As we, the school children, began to clean up our desks and rooms the school would slowly lose its character that was created from art projects, music, and visual aids.  At some point there must be a decision that the teachers have done all they should do for the year and it is time to wrap things up.  Learning came to a halt and Field Day and playing outside seemed to be the focus of everyone’s attention – including the teachers. 

Its nice to recall that nostalgia. I relived it as the boys prepared for the end of the year. 

2018

TJ – not one to be confined with the rigor of a classroom environment – could not wait until the last day of school.  As the end of his elementary school years came to an end he practiced for the school musical. His class performed, “We’re All In This Together”, from High School Musical and TJ even had a solo. He finished is EOGs and mentally checked out of class.

Grant was a different story. I happened to get off of work early that day and just happened to meet the bus at their bus stop.  Grant stepped off the bus clearly and visibly upset.  They were surprised to see me and I rolled down the window to find out what was wrong.  Maybe TJ was teasing him, maybe he was picked on, on the bus.  No, Grant was crying because school was over and he wasn’t going to see his friends or his teacher until August. 

I opened the door and he jumped in and hugged him. 

1980-ish

I remember hanging out with my friends, Pat Creegan, Mike Hanham, and my brother Andy.  Other kids would enter our little gang; Anthony Rizzi, Scott Goldstein, the Scumaci brothers – but the four of lived so close to one another we hung out the most.  Our troupe reminds me of the characters from “Stand By Me” – where everyone seemed to have a role to play.  We would fight but always somehow worked out our differences. In the days before the internet we would have in depth conversations about Star Wars and baseball cards. Boyhood was awesome for us. There were no girls. Ever.

Our summers included years before video games. We played stick ball, kick ball, and army. We went on long treks in the woods, climbed trees, built dams in the stream, and made forts.  We built things, destroyed things, and benignly terrorized the neighborhood with rambunctious play. 

We spent hours upon hours in our pool.  We would make whirlpools by going around and around in circles until we made a current strong enough that it was near impossible to swim against if you tried to change direction.  Cannon Balls, Marco Polo, and Chicken Fights ruled.  We would typically empty about a quarter of the water in a week.

2018

It’s only been a week. Our boys hang out with their friends Evan, Austin, and occasionally Owen and a few others.  Their days consist of fishing, playing basketball, Nerf gun wars, video games, disappearing on their bikes and going to the pool. Somewhere, they are benignly terrorizing the neighborhood. Middle School and Second Grade are a distant thought.  

In forty years the concept of buddies on summer vacation hasn’t changed much.  

Thank God. 

Running; A Way

Running; it's a thing we all do in the Brown family for fun that brings us together.  We completed the 14th Annual Run The Quay last weekend - a fun time for friends and memories.

RTQ is a challenging 5k that is usually hot, humid, and definitely hilly.  There is a 10k and 5k Challenge Race and each race on its own. The best part of the race is that it is a small-ish community event where you get to see some people you don't always run into and even make some new friends.  

This year TJ challenged to beat me in the race.  Each year he is getting faster and faster - but I was pretty sure I could beat him.  He ran the first mile and a half either next to me or right behind me before I lost him.  However, he posted an impressive time of 26+ minutes and a 8:30ish pace.  He finished 5th in his age group without really trying.  I can only imagine how well he would do it he practiced.

This year Grant ran his own race - with mom near by - and did okay.  Of the two, TJ is the runner.  However, everyone got a medal that they earned. Our medal wall is growing.  

Next year we hope to include Samantha in the race. In the meantime we will find a good family run and do it as a way to stay together. There is an anticipation before the race as we all huddle together at the start.  There is the chat of "Run, run. Get some!" when the gun goes off.  There is the encouragement from each of us as one after another reaches the finish line.  And after the race we all talk about our own personal highlights.

Running.  Its a way to stay together.