Over the plains of Oklahoma we went…I think the movies have been “toying” with my mind. I am sorry to say that I have yet to see a tumbleweed. What a shame : (

We were welcomed with open arms yesterday by the entire summer camp in Oklahoma. The program director generously toured us around the gigantic grounds of the camp. We saw two full basketball courts, a baseball field, a game that looked like Harry Potter’s quidditch, cabins with air conditioners (wish I had those at my camp!), kayaks in the swimming pool, and as much green grass as the eye could see.

The summer camp director kindly accommodated us with “motel” like rooms before we entered the mess hall for lunch. I discovered that the Oklahoma camp dines in a way foreign to me. There are no round tables, but long benches and they don’t sing a song before gathering to eat. The social worker expressed the entire camp’s gratitude by tying a small “friendship” knot on each NYLI member. After looking around the room a day later I could see that we were all still wearing the present.

We worked with the two oldest boy cabins and the oldest girl cabin. So, 20 campers and their counselors were able to participate in the program we created! Before we started the games and activities we described NYLI in detail and our second NYLI retreat next February (2009). I was surprised by all of the questions asked by the counselors and campers. NYLI might see a good number of retreat applicants this year!

Next, was the yarn game. Everyone gathered in a circle and passed a ball of yarn to a group member across the way. As they did this they shared their name and their connection to the bleeding disorders community. The circle gave us a chance to remember that we are all here to support one another in this community. I heard a camper say that if one person splits away from the group, the support is weakened. And he was so right!

Later on we worked with mouse traps. I am very happy to say that each camper successfully set and snapped a mouse trap blindfolded! And for the second time, there were no finger bleeds!

That, my friend, is going in the books as a two-time success activity! The campers also discovered that trust was a major component in this activity. One camper said that he found himself trembling, but having trust in his partner helped him cut through his fear.

Straws, pipe cleaner, and a small strip of duct tape–that’s all each of the four groups were given to make the tallest freestanding structure possible. There were many ideas. We observed one group start with four different structures to see which was the strongest, another scratched their heads while the other two just dove in and went to work. I was impressed when I saw that one camper had caught his group’s attention and was explaining his idea in full detail. What a leader! With a little bit of a motivational push, the slowest group worked together rapidly and produced a tower that I didn’t think was possible. Way to work together, you guys!

Out and down the grassy slopes we went to the next activity. Half the group was handed 1-ft long pieces of PVC pipe and couldn’t speak while the other half had to verbally lead the others to success. The goal was to continue the flow of a marble across a small part of the field into a bucket. Now, listen up! This group with 20+ people managed to reach their goal the first time in under five minutes! So, because of their quick wit and team-leading capabilities, we managed to give them a tougher challenge. This time the people with PVC pipe were mute and blindfolded, while the others could still verbally communicate.

Several attempts later in the heat-blistering sun they finally reached their goal! Some campers said that they felt frustrated because they couldn’t see and that other people wouldn’t listen. Others mentioned that they often blamed others for making mistakes that truly weren’t their fault, but they did so because they needed to release energy. The group told us that it is extremely important to communicate with precise instructions. For example, one camper said, “What does left mean?” and “Which way is the building? I can’t see.” Overall, whether they knew it or not, everyone walked away with more team-building skills!

We ended our activities on a serious note. The group, yet again, gathered in a circle. Well okay, let’s call it an oval-shaped circle. One person read a statement, and people were to stand up if they agreed with it, and stay seated if they disagreed. Here are some statements as examples: “I don’t tell my friends about my bleeding disorder because it is a hassle”; “I think it is okay for two people who have bleeding disorders to have children together”; “VWD is not as important as hemophilia”; and “I am accepting and understanding when my sibling has a bleed.” The atmosphere was quiet as campers shared their thoughts as to why they disagreed or agreed. If given the choice to get rid of their bleeding disorder, one camper agreed to do so, but changed his mind when he heard other people’s thoughts on the matter. Campers shared that if they weren’t affected they would be a different person and wouldn’t have all the friends and experiences in their lives. Basically, they would give nothing in exchange for the removal of their bleeding disorder. One little girl shared that she thought it was unfair for her younger brother to be able to hit, while she can’t hit back. Not only were thoughts like these shared, but staff members in the group commented that they had never heard things like this from their campers and they felt so moved to be there. What can we say? This community has a way of sucking people into it.

Then the other NYLIers and I were able to walk around the camp a little bit more. Brad, Barlen and our bus driver, Ramiro, took a ride on a zip line over a small creek (pronounced “crick” in this area). After that exciting show, Lily, Barlen, Jen and I were walking on a path when Lily shouted, “What are those flashy things in the woods?” Lily and I simultaneously figured it out. FIREFLIES!!!! I was so excited! I had never seen fireflies before! We both ran into the woods and enjoyed the entertainment. However, if I had known what we were going to see next I wouldn’t have touched the forest. As we continued our stroll down the path I heard Barlen scream and I saw Jen stop dead in her tracks. It was this eight-legged, black, moving object crawling across the ground. A tarantula!!!

I was so blown away! I had no idea they had tarantulas in Oklahoma. This thing was as big as my fist! After posing with the spider in a picture we cautiously walked back to our rooms and called it a night.

Hope you enjoyed my tale about our experience in Oklahoma. I’m so happy we were given the chance to run activities with the campers and I heard nothing but gratitude from everyone. Thank you Oklahoma camp! Had a blast!

Alex

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm and is filed under 06/07 - Texas Motor Speedway. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.