I realize that I do a lot of "back in the day" camp posts.
It's because I see camp through the eyes of my youngest child now and well, "back in the day" things were different.
Not necessarily better; just different.
So when I see that some of the top DJ's are doing their thing at camp this summer I cannot help to think back to the day...
Circa 1980 and fuses were being blown in the bunks because of the over use of hair dryers and curling irons. We were teasing our perms to make them fuller and higher and loves baby soft was being spritzed through the bunks.
It was Saturday night and it was time for the social.
We put on our best outfits and headed down the road anticipating the transformation of the old rec hall.
The social always had a theme ("Reunited" by Peaches and Herb," Best of Times" by Styx, "Always and Forever" by whoever sang Always and Forever)
Girls lined up against the walls of the old Rec Hall (and by walls I mean old garage doors that pulled down and became walls) (at some point a "new gym" was built and we then had socials in the, you guessed it, "new gym")
Ok. So we lined the walls waiting to be asked to dance. I do not remember any group dancing but I do remember waiting to be asked.
Often male counselors had pity on us and would ask us to dance (I'm sure they were told to do this) and if we were lucky, our crush would make his way across the rec hall.
Khakis and a collared shirt, over dressed in Drakkar or Paco Rabanne, stumbling , asking "doyouwannadance"?
This got easier as we matured.
The boys became our friends and dancing together wasn't AS awkward.
Still, the coveted LAST dance was reserved for COUPLES.
Stairway to Heaven was at least 5 minutes long and we stuck together from all our sweat (nerves and humidity combined).
Girls would then run back to the bunks (if we were lucky we snuck a kiss while the director or head counselor wasn't looking) and discuss who we had our stairway dance with.
It was a right of passage.
It's how we learned (slight) rhythm but how we gained confidence.
It's how we learned to talk to the opposite sex.
It's how we made friends. And boyfriends.
Pictures from the "social" from 2019 were spread across the camp page.
It was held on the beach (So fun, I know)
Colored powder was being blasted out of some kind of powder gun thing and kids were adorned in tutus, flowered bucket hats, sports basketball jerseys or the DJ's t-shirts that get handed out to each camper and counselor.
Music was being blasted while kids danced around in large groups.
And when I say danced I mean jumped.
And when I say large groups I mean groups of whoever was near by.
No one was up against any fence feeling nervous about being asked to dance and there was no 5 minute last song .
I'm not even sure if cookies and bug juice were handed out as kids got called back to the bunk for the evening .
And if there was they didn't care because they were too busy playing air guitar, jumping into a photo booth or just plain jumping.
Who did it better?
I'm not sure there is a right or wrong on this one.
I love the fact that there are no kids being left standing against the garage wall while their friends get asked to dance more often.
It saddens me that there is no dressing up and are fuses even being blown?
But my guess is kids are still building confidence
kids are still having fun
even if Led Zeppelin is a thing of the past.
I wonder if kisses are still being snuck?
It's because I see camp through the eyes of my youngest child now and well, "back in the day" things were different.
Not necessarily better; just different.
So when I see that some of the top DJ's are doing their thing at camp this summer I cannot help to think back to the day...
Circa 1980 and fuses were being blown in the bunks because of the over use of hair dryers and curling irons. We were teasing our perms to make them fuller and higher and loves baby soft was being spritzed through the bunks.
It was Saturday night and it was time for the social.
We put on our best outfits and headed down the road anticipating the transformation of the old rec hall.
The social always had a theme ("Reunited" by Peaches and Herb," Best of Times" by Styx, "Always and Forever" by whoever sang Always and Forever)
Girls lined up against the walls of the old Rec Hall (and by walls I mean old garage doors that pulled down and became walls) (at some point a "new gym" was built and we then had socials in the, you guessed it, "new gym")
Ok. So we lined the walls waiting to be asked to dance. I do not remember any group dancing but I do remember waiting to be asked.
Often male counselors had pity on us and would ask us to dance (I'm sure they were told to do this) and if we were lucky, our crush would make his way across the rec hall.
Khakis and a collared shirt, over dressed in Drakkar or Paco Rabanne, stumbling , asking "doyouwannadance"?
This got easier as we matured.
The boys became our friends and dancing together wasn't AS awkward.
Still, the coveted LAST dance was reserved for COUPLES.
Stairway to Heaven was at least 5 minutes long and we stuck together from all our sweat (nerves and humidity combined).
Girls would then run back to the bunks (if we were lucky we snuck a kiss while the director or head counselor wasn't looking) and discuss who we had our stairway dance with.
It was a right of passage.
It's how we learned (slight) rhythm but how we gained confidence.
It's how we learned to talk to the opposite sex.
It's how we made friends. And boyfriends.
Pictures from the "social" from 2019 were spread across the camp page.
It was held on the beach (So fun, I know)
Colored powder was being blasted out of some kind of powder gun thing and kids were adorned in tutus, flowered bucket hats, sports basketball jerseys or the DJ's t-shirts that get handed out to each camper and counselor.
Music was being blasted while kids danced around in large groups.
And when I say danced I mean jumped.
And when I say large groups I mean groups of whoever was near by.
No one was up against any fence feeling nervous about being asked to dance and there was no 5 minute last song .
I'm not even sure if cookies and bug juice were handed out as kids got called back to the bunk for the evening .
And if there was they didn't care because they were too busy playing air guitar, jumping into a photo booth or just plain jumping.
Who did it better?
I'm not sure there is a right or wrong on this one.
I love the fact that there are no kids being left standing against the garage wall while their friends get asked to dance more often.
It saddens me that there is no dressing up and are fuses even being blown?
But my guess is kids are still building confidence
kids are still having fun
even if Led Zeppelin is a thing of the past.
I wonder if kisses are still being snuck?
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