Camp Love

After a conversation with Jordan Schmidt, Director, Writer and Co-Producer of the Anokijig Series, I was fueled to sit down and do some outlining work on the script.  As I was writing, I remembered the time when I was the Senior Counselor and our cabin was chosen and the Session 2 Cabin winner.  It was then that I realized it wasn’t at Anokijig that we won, but at Camp Woodstock.  I was instantly flooded with memories of my 8 month, life changing adventure at Camp Woodstock. From the 2 day train ride from Wisconsin to Hartford, to the first time I listened to Rusted Root, it was like Chewbacca just engaged the hyper drive on the Millennium Falcon, and all these memories were coming at me at light speed.

After my walk down memory lane, I was left feeling guilty.  Guilty that I neglected to thank and give credit to the camp that was as much of an influence to the Anokijig show, as Camp Anokijig itself.  I was at Camp Woodstock for one summer, but that summer I met some of the most influential people in my life.   I was accepted as a fellow Woodstocker almost immediately, from both counselors and campers alike.  Did everyone feel that way?  Probably not, but that was of little consequence to me, because those who did, made me feel like I was part of something bigger than a camp, but a family.   I never gave props to Camp Woodstock.  The camp that named a whole hour after me, even though I was there for just 8 months, 20 years ago.

I’ve been to Camp Woodstock two times since those 8 months 20 years ago.  I would call Mike Sherman the former Camp Director from time to time, but that too became less frequent.  Now, except for a few “likes” on Post Updates on social media, I don’t speak to anyone I got to know so well during that time.  Does it make me sad?  A little, but that’s life.  We all grow up and do our own thing.  However, that doesn’t excuse me for thanking Camp Woodstock.

So, “Thank You” Camp Woodstock.  Thank you for accepting the young man from Wisconsin, and expanding his horizons.  Both Camp Anokijig and Camp Woodstock will always be a part of who I am, today.