Maywood

In my pursuit to write a month's worth of random things, I almost forgot one of mine from my facebook list. Many people grow up going to summer camps. They could be all kins of camps, but a think a lot of us attended some kind of church camp. For me, I got lucky the summer camp I attended was in my hometown on land that part of family donated. I spent 20 summers and my life was forever changed by Maywood Christian Camp.
At the age of four I began spending a couple of nights at a time with my aunts Teena and Toni. I would then stay with Toni while she was a counselor. Then for over a decade I was there every year for Hamilton's week. I went from being a camper, worker then counselor. As I grew up it was a social thing with all my friends around town then by the end it was a group of people I went to college with. I made a number of connections through Maywood and some friendships that I still have today.
I always spent my week at camp, but never even thought about the fact that camp went on all summer. I guess it was around the fifth grade that a group of my friends started going out to camp for church on Sunday and Wednesday nights. We began to make friends and some weeks we were out there every night. It took a couple of years before I stated going to a second week of camp. We had been going out at night and met some great people during Birmingham's week. .(That is when I met Emily Glass). It is kind of funny because our week was laid back and all about practical jokes, but this week was so different. I became to love it all the same. I kept going that week all through high school. Later when Lindsey became the lifeguard out there we went almost every day...well unless it was Florence week which kind of kicked us out because we took away campers, thanks Jeremy.
I loved being a camper pulling jokes, but some of my greatest memories came while all of us were kitchen and canteen workers. In college I started being a counselor. Those were fun times too, but I also became the responsible one. It was fitting my last year of camp came with Lindsey and I being counselors and Katie coming out to help us. I think everything cam efull circle. I have not been out there in years since I rarely even go to Hamilton. My family still goes the same week and it is lie a new generation. I have so many wonderful memories. I could spend a whole month telling just Maywood memories. I came in contact with so many wonderful people that I will hold in my heart. I know that I will see all those people again one day and we can reminisce and tell our stories all over again.