Guest post by David Scanlon, counselor for summer 2015 & 2016

The Bar 717 Ranch has done so much for me in my brief time here. It’s difficult to fully capture and describe those things. But as I sit here writing this in the dawning sun, on a sandy beach by the river, I thought that I’d share what I could of my experiences:

I grew up thinking that the only thing of significance that I had was my brain. I always thought things like: “It’s OK that you’re an awful athlete, you’re still smart!” or “It’s alright that you’re clumsy and bad at most practical things, you have your brain!” I was my intellect and nothing more of worth.

But camp changed my view of that. It gave me the space and the confidence to grow and explore those other neglected parts of who I am. The mantra is “Learn by doing”, but it means so much more than just learning how to put up a fence or how to dance the Amos Moses by doing those things. It means you learn a lot about yourself through doing those things. When you put up a fence you not only learn how to put up a fence, but also that you can, and that maybe you’re not so terrible at practical tasks after all. And it’s through all of my doing at camp that I have done so much learning about what I am outside of my brain.

I have eyes, flawed as they may be, that can sharply observe campers or behold the beauty of the world around me.

I have ears that can pick up the whisper of trees in the wind, the gurgle of a sparkling spring, and the thumps of a camper running downhill behind me.

I have a mouth that can eat a ton of vegetarian lasagna and give big cheesy grins, even though it still can’t whistle.

I have a voice that can bellow across the swimhole or croon a camp song in a wonky tune.

I have shoulders and a back that can bear the weight of a pack with all of my overnight’s food.

I have arms that can carry a bucket of bubbles or hold a pile of firewood.

I have hands that wave wildly when I talk, but are also more clever at crafts than I could have ever imagined.

I have a waist that can shimmy or wiggle a camp dance.

I have legs that have carried me up mountains and run me around a Riding Ring as a Rodeo Clown.

I have feet that have kicked me through rivers and lakes, and have kept me balanced and grounded the entire time.

I have organisational skills, planning abilities, the capacity to throw together an Untalent Show every two weeks, an inconsistent memory for campers’ names, and all those other qualities that are more mind than brain.

I have humour, compassion, an appreciation for nature, enthusiasm, optimism, and all those other qualities that are more soul than mind.

I have lifelong friends and family who know all these parts of me and hold me dear for it.

As the summer begins to wrap up I know I will walk away a more complete person. Not just a brain. Camp didn’t necessarily give me all of these attributes, some I possessed before coming here. What camp did give me was the ability to acknowledge these attributes, to appreciate them, and even to love them.

And that is a gift that I can never quite return. But I can try. I can try to give such a gift to others, to help them realise all that they are and to love that. And I hope that I’ve done that for some of you.