Teenagers

Teenagers scare me. They scared me when I was a teenager and they still scare me.
Teenagers are just different. You know what I'm talking about. You were once a teenager. They just think different, live different, eat different. Everything about them is different.

Every year for the past 3 years Luke has had the opportunity to lead worship for a church at a camp here in Oklahoma (I won't give you the same of the camp but if you are from Oklahoma, and most importantly Baptist then you have heard of it for sure). I grew up going to camp (not this particular camp, but along the same lines). There is just something so great about camp. I remember I would always cry at the end of the week when it was time to go home (remember when I said I cried on the last day of school - clearly this is a pattern in my life). Anyways, camp. It is great. So When I have the opportunity to go with Luke for the night and take in the aura of camp, I jump on it!


Now, this particular camp that I am talking about has something special about it Tambra, my beloved roommate, person who washes her clothes every time she wears them and partner in life (until the end of July) works there. She lives there all summer and enjoys the daily (and most of the times hectic) life of camp. So I decided while I was visiting that I would not bother her by calling her, but instead go search for her and surprise her. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Ok remember the part where I said I didn't grow up going to this camp - that means I don't know my way around the campgrounds - and the campground are huuuuuuuge.

So for some strange reason, I decided to go find my friend, right after worship service was let out; in other words: A time when 10 million crazy teenagers are walking around camp unsupervised.

Another important fact about this camp is they have icee stands where the teenagers ALL go and get icees - a tradition at this camp is to go on an icee date, I have never been on an icee date. After this experience I never want to utter the words icee date again.

The sun had gone down, it was dark, and I was wandering around camp looking like a lost puppy, I had teenagers coming at me from all directions yelling things like "Heeeeeeey" 'How old are You" "Hey come here I want to ask you something, FINE DON'T COME HERE" "Give me a high five, Spread the Love". That last one I don't really understand. Apparently in 2008 it is cool for teenagers to walk by people as fast as they can, with their hand in the air coming towards you, yelling "Give Me a High Five, Spread the Love" Well I had no idea what kind of love I was spreading, but I sure as heck gave them a high five for fear of my life.

Now, as I made my way towards the icee date stands I began to lose focus, "what was I doing here?" "What was I looking for?" "Where in the heck am I?" "I just want to go home." Around this time I entered the pits of icee date misery. I had 3 boys under the age of 14 ask me on an icee date, and one boy - who looked to be 32 wearing a gold chain around his neck ask me if I wanted to join him for an icee. Keep in mind I wasn't walking leisurely, I was walking at about 10 mph trying my best to escape this madness, I think it was the thrill of the chase for them. And for future reference I will never join a 32 year old looking boy who wears a gold chain for anything.

As I escaped the pits of icee date misery I got down in fetal position and called Luke on my cell phone and asked him to come rescue me.

OK totally kidding - I saw an office! It was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! As I walked towards the office to go find Tambra, Luke called my cell phone and said "Where are you?" To which I responded "I just almost lost my life and that is all you have to say to me?!?!?!?" He then informed me that his car alarm was going off and I needed to bring back his keys so he could turn it off - seriously a car alarm going off? Did the teenagers even notice? I just pictured them standing on the car dancing around it doing some sot of teenage chant, yelling "Spread the Love"

Needless to say I never got to see Tambra. However, I did survive. That I am proud of. And my feelings towards camps have not been change, I still love it and still cant' wait to go back. However you will never catch me alone at night. Never. Teenagers scare me.