Writing Starter 16

I am sitting on a bumpy log in a circle with sixty strangers

I first met yesterday morning when we all arrived to begin the

adventure called Camp Lookout. It is dark except for the light of

the campfire we built just minutes before, and it is quiet except for

the sounds of nature: the waves of Lake Michigan caressing the

sand nearby, the chirp of birds who haven’t yet realized night has

fallen, and the whistle of the wind through tall grass. A counselor

begins to strum a simple melody on his guitar. “This song is

called ‘Around a Thousand Fires,’” he says. Then sixty voices

come together to sing the chorus that defines my experience at

Camp: “I can do anything that I want to, and I will.”

Camp Lookout is the one place where, no matter what,

everyone accepted me, supported me, and allowed me to flourish.

During my days at Camp I learned skills such as how to sail, play

guitar, talk with a British accent (and “properly” drink tea), write

poetry, and even run down sand dunes (lean back or you will end

up with bruised knees and a lot of sand in your mouth). My days at

Camp were full of energy and creativity, but no matter how many

amazing things I did or what lessons I learned, nothing compared

to dusk when the singing began. Around a Thousand Fires was

a nightly event; every night for five summers, I proclaimed that

I could do anything I wanted. Every night I believed it more and

more. Sometimes this song motivated me to try something crazy as

an Activity the next day. (How about Space Aliens? Yes, I can put

on my swimsuit, paint my entire body bright colors, and go invade

people’s space. I can do anything I want to.) Nights at Camp, and

the repetition of this mantra, inspired me to open up to my fellow

campers and develop friendships on a deeper level than I ever had

before.