Summer Camp Destroyed My Virgin Ears and I Loved It

A recent New York Times article tells parents to “Please Relax, It’s Just Camp.” It details the fact that parents are WAY too involved in their child’s summer camp experience and are constantly calling and meddling. And yes, the NYT is correct. It is just camp. And parents do need to relax.

By Sues

However, these parents are sending their children away to live with absolute strangers during some of the child’s most crucial developmental years. I can see how it could be difficult and extremely frightening. But, I think I’m solid proof that, while camp can be a scary place, it’s generally not life-damaging.

During middle school I went to summer camp at one of those camps on a lake with an insanely cheery name. (You know the type, “Happy Valley” or “The Best Place on Earth.” Barf.) At this particular camp, we were NOT allowed to talk to our parents, no matter what. Of course, cell phones didn’t really exist, but parents were told not to call the camp unless of an emergency and even if they called, we were never allowed to speak to them. We did a little thing called writing letters. Remember that?

Anyway, I liked the camp OK until the summer of 7th grade. Whereas the previous summer I had been in a cabin with 8 other campers, this particular year was just me, my best friend, and 2 other girls. And one of the girls was psycho. P-S-Y-C-H-O. Now, maybe I was a naive little girl, but isn’t that a good thing as a middle schooler? My parents would have yanked me right out of camp if they knew half the things Melissa talked about to my virgin ears.

Things I learned from Melissa at summer camp:

-How boys masturbate.

-How to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy. (According to Melissa, drinking bleach was the way to go.)

-How to listen to your cabin-mate when she tells you *not* to look in the trash (um, see above).

-Why I should be dying to have sex and what it feels like.

-Why smoking pot is fun.

-That I was a huge freak because I had never kissed a boy.

Melissa scared the eff out of me and my friend and I would do our best to avoid her. But during those long summer nights laying in our bunk beds, Melissa would tell us stories about sex and drugs that no 12 year old should know about. Especially one who was still convinced everyone in the world was harmless and everyone meant good.

My friend and I never told our mothers about Melissa because, yes, our mothers would have turned crazy, sued the camp, hunted this girl down, and never allowed us out of the house again, much less go back to summer camp. And I wouldn’t have blamed them. As parents, it’s their job to protect us. But you know what? I turned out OK.

Melissa taught me that I was way too naive, the world is a scary place, and most importantly, I’m going to run into a lot of messed up crazy people in my life. I didn’t return home after that summer desperately wanting to sex it up, I didn’t start experimenting with pot (um, and as a 7th grader, had not a clue where one would get drugs in the first place), and I had no desire to check and see if her “bleach kills babies” philosophy was correct.

I still think about Melissa from time to time and wonder where she is and just how many unwanted pregnancies she’s gotten rid of. As much as that summer at camp majorly freaked me out, I’m so thankful my parents managed to let go and allow me to be independent for a few weeks. Yes, it’s scary. You never know when your kid is going to run into a Melissa (or worse!). But if you let your kid get through the scary stuff, chances are they’ll become better people for it.

Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, recommend taking Melissa’s bleach advice. Like I said, girl was crazy.

[Image from Rock Brook Camp Blog]