Dear Friends,

So it's been a while....The reason being? I have been sleeping. Lots of sleep is required when you work with kids all day in the sweltering hot sun. Confused? I will clue you in....this week I started my job as a CAMP COUNSELOR at the YMCA. Wow what a trip. I have spent about a week here at work and all I can say is "wow, what a trip." Don't get me wrong. I love kids. I will always love kids. I have some sort of special light inside me that turns on when ever there are children around. The amazing part about
Summer Camp is how it inhibits it's own world. I feel like when I put on my Gawky Yellow Shirt and step out into the Pavelian, (wow i have no clue how to spell that one) I am in a whole new life, a whole new dimension. 13 Counselors who are the very best friends. 110 kids who each has their own story, their own problem, their own life. So many things go on at once but, when 4:30 comes around it all disapears. Everyone goes home back to their own lives, then show up the next day and start all over again. In one full
day of camp I deal with:

An aggressive child who likes to beat people up.
A child who WILL not obey the rules even after punishment.
A whole group of 12 year olds who already know how to play the game and think it's stupid.
A very shy six-year-old who is very upset cause he forgot his goggles in the pool.
Talkers
Quiters
Screamers
Cryers
Whiners

Every childhood epidemic that you could possibly imagine is going on all at the same time and it is up to me and twelve other young adults (who are poorly underpaid) to organize and keep control of this massacre. Sounds horrible huh? I'll let you in on a little secret. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Why? Because. Because of the laughs I get from the five and sixers when I tell them the wall is falling down and I need their help to hold it up. Because of the way the 9 year olds think they are so smart when they try trick me with a scam that I tried on the Teacher when I was their age. Because of Jacob Conover's Mullet. For the game of MASH I played with Jenny Marlett. For the way Andre looked at me right before I called his number in Steal the Bacon. Because of the look on little Christopher Duran's face when I told him I would find his goggles...NO MATTER WHAT. Because those kids will all remember me for the rest of their lives just like I will remember them. Just like I will remember the counselors (my friends).....My boss Jill (The crazy lady who teaches me a lot despite what I let on). I hope it never ends....but, it is destined to....just like anything else good. Good stuff always has to end sometime or another.

Love you guys,

Anthony Doria