One of my fellow staffers at Camp Zenith shared this wonderful quote from the wrapper of a Dove Chocolate bar. It reads as follows: Life is not one big to do list. I LOVE that quote. I force myself to do lists weekly in my job, because structure does not come naturally to me at all! I completely prefer spontaneity, if it all possible.

Ironically to do lists have become such an engrained part of my weekly existence, I am finding here at camp that I am way too task oriented. That sounds really odd for someone not inclined toward structure. And yet I find myself always thinking about what I need to do next, and even making lists in my head. That is just wrong. It is camp. It is time to have fun. It is time to enjoy the campers. It is time to be myself. The lists have gone out the window.

I am going to do what I can to capture each moment. Today the campers will spread out all over Oklahoma City to do service projects. They will go in their “Z” groups to various places in need of assistance. The food bank told us that they can host up to 100 volunteers to work! Other groups will visit nursing homes, and assist at a shelter for the homeless. While the campers are off campus, the dorm dads are going to fire up the charcoal grills. We will have hamburgers and hot dogs ready for 450 campers and all of their counselors when they return. I am especially looking forward to hearing the stories of the afternoon during the evening meal today.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that the composition of camp is changing. Gone is the day when most of our campers came from “churched” homes. That is fine with me! I am all about reaching out to kids from every imaginable background. This morning at our staff meeting the ladies mentioned a girl camping here this week who has had repeated run in’s with the law. In fact, she has been incarcerated for her offenses. The young lady had to receive permission last year from her probation officer to come to camp. Camp apparently is a very important annual event for this young lady. Volunteers from her hometown tell me that she has basically no responsible adults involved in her life.

So…make a list or skip the list? I think I will compromise. I will just make a short list with one entry. It will read as follows: Reach out to lost puppy campers today. That is the extent of my list. That is my assignment for the day. After all life is NOT one big to do list.