Turn Your Head and......

The first week of camp was plagued by a plague.  Everyone has gotten sick that lives in the community houses in one way or another.  I have heard reports of fever, diarrhea, vomiting, the chills, headache and stuffy nose. I think if we dosed everyone up with a NyQuil and Pepto Bismol smoothie with a few raw eggs we’d be up and running in no time.

However, there is one type of sickness that cannot be cured with medicine.  That is homesickness, which like a lot of communicable diseases can be more prevalent among college students than old married men like myself.  I brought part of my family with me to Kodiak, because I can’t go to the bathroom without her.  This isn’t a complaint; it’s great especially when you run out toilet paper.

One of our counselors was struck down with a terrible case of homesickness and has left Kodiak to return home.

I wouldn’t care much but he’s from Indiana and I happen to be from Indiana. He’s going back to Fishers, which says a lot about him, I guess his Diddy never told him how us men from Indiana deal with our feelings.

STOICISM

I just hope his early departure doesn’t reflect poorly on the Motherland. 

My real beef is how he slithered away.

I was tipped off of his intentions to return home (as a result of homesickenss) before he announced his departure to the whole group of counselors.

I really wanted him to hold the Indiana Man strong and stay so I decided to encourage him to do so.

At dinner Mr. Foreman announced that he (the person leaving) had some news to tell the group.  This was a way to put him on the spot and make him tell everyone himself like a big boy that he was a worm and was going home because he was homesick. 

Here is how he did it.

Him:  Well, a job opened up at home and I have decided I’m going to change my ticket and head home because I need to make some money this summer.

Keep in mind he is from Fishers!!!!

The room went silent.

Me: What kind of job opened up that you’re going to leave Kodiak for?

Him:  I’m going to be working at a movie theatre with my buddy.

Me:  Well, there is a movie theater in Kodiak, I’m sure they’ll let you work there.  If you change your mind you can always stay.  You can always stay with us until you get on the plane.  We’d love to have you stay here with us for the summer.

He made this announcement on a Thursday night and I didn’t see him again until the next day.

This was our next conversation on Friday.

Me:  Hey you know we would still love you to stay here for the summer.

Him: Yeah but I’m going home I got to make some money this summer.

Me: Well, I’m not that old but I know you’ll regret getting on that plane your whole life. I know I would, you can always stay until you get on that plane.

Him:  Well, I’ve already changed my ticket and it was like 300 bucks to change it. 

Me: Well, I’m sure we could round up enough money to pay that for you so you can stay.  That money you make at the theatre won’t last, but the memories you make here will; you’ll regret it if you go home.  Do you know how many times you’ll have to tell people you left Kodiak to work at a movie theatre?  You can always changer your mind and stay; we’d love to have you.

I didn’t see him again until right before he left.

Me:  You know you don’t have to go, we would still love to have you stay, we can get that change fee taken care of for you.

Him:  No, I gotta make some money over the summer.

Me:  Okay, but promise me this…… when you are watching movies in the dark and you see the ocean come up on the silver screen you think of us here in Kodiak, and that you could be here looking at the ocean with us but instead you’re making that almighty dollar at the theatre.

Him: Alright.

Me: You can still change your mind; we would love to have you.  You can always change your mind before you get on that plane; there is a place for you here.

I was sincere about my desire to have him stay in Kodiak, I would’ve loved to convince him to stay, but again the almighty dollar has trumped a great opportunity for a young person.

When the campers ask me how much I get paid I am proud to say I don’t get paid anything. I decided to come up here this summer and spend my time with you instead of making money back in Indiana. 

It never ceases to amaze them that we don’t get paid and that we are here spending time with them because we want to be with them and show them love.

So I hope our counselor friend is over his sickness and squirms just as much as he did when we were trying to get him to stay, every time someone asks him why he left Kodiak to work in a theatre.

Thanks for the memories.