The "real world"

It’s December 14th today, which means that a) there are 11 days left until Christmas, b) there are 12 days left until my birthday, and c) I’ve been working at my first “real job” for a whole 3.5 months. It feels weird saying that I finally got my first real job at the age of 22 because while people seem to separate employment in the for profit world and employment at Camp, there are many ways in which Camp work would seem to be a lot more work than a “real job”. At Camp you are on duty 24 hours a day and you see your coworkers all the time. At Camp you are responsible for the well-being of all the campers under your care, but more than that you also hold the task of teaching them and learning from them. Upon consideration, this may seem a daunting task, but it is these same things that make Camp such a worthwhile endeavor for both the staff and campers. In my seven summers at Camp I learned how to communicate effectively with my campers, my coworkers, and how to better communicate with God. I learned how to balance my responsibility for this week’s Campers with my own needs and how to care for myself under stress. I learned about the proper functioning of a team and about respect for myself and for others.

It could be said that most of the important skills I have learned have been learned or honed at Camp with the support of others doing the same, and it is the most enjoyable classroom I have ever had.

Now, in my new job I have been trying to take what I have learned from my summers, and build on it. While it will always be a challenge for me and for many others to carry the Camp spirit home with us, it is important to remember that with God’s help it is possible. As for my job, well, it’s not as fun or challenging as Camp, but I have a lovely new team to work with now and we’ll have our good times too. If only I could incorporate the game Styx somehow...



Nicholas Ewert
Counselor, Kitchen Helper, Head Cook