Sometimes a Picture...
Sometimes a Picture Really is Worth 1,000 words
The above picture- taken of the pre-camp work crew in 1976- has been circulating lately, and the comments are revealing. I don’t suppose any of the subjects imagined at the time that they would look back, nearly 50 years later, and describe this as one of the best times in their lives, but that has been the majority sentiment.
I suppose that comes naturally with the nostalgia of looking at one’s younger self, but I think it also captures the essence of what it is like to work at Camp Mishawaka. The work lends itself to a sense of shared mission and values. It involves frequent movement, being outdoors much of the day, and a fair share of physical labor. And, it can be just plain fun! Whoever took this picture (it was likely Nick Larsen) captured more than just a crew. It captures a whole world.
Members of this crew went on to serve in the Coast Guard, pursued careers in law, the US Army, corporate leadership, high school and college teaching. One, David Larsen, went on to do this type of work for the rest of his life. You might think that somehow working on a crew at a summer camp somehow limited their career opportunity. I would argue that it enhanced it. Somehow, all this crew went on to find fulfillment and success without a single internship.
Along the way, this crew learned the value of manual labor, the importance of friendship, and seeing a project through to completion. I venture to guess they also learned to discern which job needed a rake, and which job required a plunger or a sledgehammer. It wasn’t (and isn’t) glamorous work, and a crew member was just as likely to have to clean up a bathroom accident as to chainsaw a tree. The work fostered curiosity and teamwork, rewarded ingenuity and performance- just as it provided satisfaction in the smallest of victories. Plus. lunch was on the house! As I think about it now, I can see why so many described it as one of the best times in their lives.