I remember not being interested in leaving my comfortable only-child bed when I was a kid to be around a bunch of noisy kids in a cabin or tent in the middle of somewhere. I admit that I was a loner in many ways by choice. I did sleep over at friends' houses occasionally or have them at my house, but going away to camp, nah, that wasn't me. I'd also get terribly homesick.
However, I did venture out into the world in late high school by attending a week-long writer's workshop at St. Joseph's College in northern Indiana. Met some other cool kids outside of Anderson, IN, and bonded with one in particular, a crazy girl named Lisa who lived in Ohio. We corresponded for years until we lost touch. Hmm, will have to look her up on Facebook …
And then I also had a whim to go into law enforcement and went to a camp sponsored by the Indiana State Police. I followed that by a week-long high school journalism workshop at nearby Ball State University. Geez, I was such a serious kid!
None of those took me into the woods and the places of the heart I venture these days. I'm not into fishing or climbing rock walls, but I love to take photos of individuals who cherish the moments of these special experiences, human beings who face the everyday and emotional challenges of coping with brain-related injuries, illnesses and diseases.
It's just me and my camera and the woods and a few mosquitoes with about 150 of my new friends at Camp Cranium for children with traumatic or acquired brain injuries this week in the inspiring setting of Camp Victory in Millville, Pennsylvania …
Dear Mom, and Dad and Diane,
This is my postcard from camp …
Love, your daughter,
Monica
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