Cracks in the Sidewalk
Chapter 4
He thinks of camp, and it brings warm memories to his heart. He realizes that he was happiest there-and he feels closer to some of his camp friends than he does to his friends from home. Thinking about this saddens him. Is it true? Does he really care more about people he spent one month of the year with more than some people he spends 11 with? He shakes his head, and sits back down at his desk, excited to write about his favorite part of life
I arrived at Cedar Lake sleepaway camp without knowing what to expect at all. I find out what bunk I'm in, and go to it. It's the smallest bunk (only 10 kids) and it's off to the side, almost as if it's intentionally apart from the rest. "This could be nice", I think to myself, "if I don't make any friends, I'm already fairly secluded. Maybe I'll be able to get my summer reading done." However, quite the opposite happens. I find myself filled with an emotion I can't understand. For the first time ever, I'm having fun without caring about anything other than myself. I'm thinking about me and what I want to do, and it's a wonderful feeling. I meet a girl named Naomi. I'll never forget her-my first real crush. We talk for a while, and really hit it off well. We hang out for hours, walking around the lake, hanging out during meals, and I take her to the dance at the end of camp. Granted, she dropped off of the face of the earth after that, and I never heard a word from her, but at the time, she was pretty awesome. I also develop my first real bonds of friendship. The other kids in my bunk all seem very similar to me: we're all slightly awkward Jewish kids who have no idea what to expect at this camp. We wind up being friends into high school.
Some of the best summers of my life are at this camp. However, my last two summers there stick out in my mind particularly much. The last two years as a camper are called TAC (Teen Age Camp-very inventive minds come up with these acronyms, I know). They are divided into TAC 1 and TAC 2. These two years were both polar opposites and the years that would define who I am. However, I'll get into that much later.
I get back from my first year of camp, and complete middle school. I've solidified my place on the social ladder-I'm an official band geek. I'm okay with this label-I love playing music. I join the marching band my freshman year of high school. I have no idea what's in store for me.
He snaps out of his moment of reverie. It's dark, and he's sitting in his bed with his computer on his lap. He thinks about where this is going, and it's not to a very happy place. He feels the tears well up in his eyes, but forces them down. He must learn to be strong, or he'll never survive in life. He must learn to keep his emotions in check. Or, at least, that's what his parents keep telling him.
I arrived at Cedar Lake sleepaway camp without knowing what to expect at all. I find out what bunk I'm in, and go to it. It's the smallest bunk (only 10 kids) and it's off to the side, almost as if it's intentionally apart from the rest. "This could be nice", I think to myself, "if I don't make any friends, I'm already fairly secluded. Maybe I'll be able to get my summer reading done." However, quite the opposite happens. I find myself filled with an emotion I can't understand. For the first time ever, I'm having fun without caring about anything other than myself. I'm thinking about me and what I want to do, and it's a wonderful feeling. I meet a girl named Naomi. I'll never forget her-my first real crush. We talk for a while, and really hit it off well. We hang out for hours, walking around the lake, hanging out during meals, and I take her to the dance at the end of camp. Granted, she dropped off of the face of the earth after that, and I never heard a word from her, but at the time, she was pretty awesome. I also develop my first real bonds of friendship. The other kids in my bunk all seem very similar to me: we're all slightly awkward Jewish kids who have no idea what to expect at this camp. We wind up being friends into high school.
Some of the best summers of my life are at this camp. However, my last two summers there stick out in my mind particularly much. The last two years as a camper are called TAC (Teen Age Camp-very inventive minds come up with these acronyms, I know). They are divided into TAC 1 and TAC 2. These two years were both polar opposites and the years that would define who I am. However, I'll get into that much later.
I get back from my first year of camp, and complete middle school. I've solidified my place on the social ladder-I'm an official band geek. I'm okay with this label-I love playing music. I join the marching band my freshman year of high school. I have no idea what's in store for me.
He snaps out of his moment of reverie. It's dark, and he's sitting in his bed with his computer on his lap. He thinks about where this is going, and it's not to a very happy place. He feels the tears well up in his eyes, but forces them down. He must learn to be strong, or he'll never survive in life. He must learn to keep his emotions in check. Or, at least, that's what his parents keep telling him.
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Again-sorry for the lack of length. It's kind of a set-up for the high school years. I forsee each year being quite long for our brave narrator, so these short choppy chapters are kind of filler to set up the long haul of high school.