Conversations

My thoughts on camp are coming... I'm loving mulling them over before I share them... but here are some conversations that I have loved:

Shampoo
Someone I know lives by the principle that she will make by hand as many items (especially cleaning and hygiene) as she can. This was a conversation we recently had over the phone about some homemade shampoo:

me: What does it smell like?
her: Well, the soap I used smells like lavender, but then I had to add vinegar. So, it kind of smells like lavender that has gone sour.
me: And that is what your hair smells like right now? Soured lavender?
her: Yes. That's it.

What we hide
At camp, I had this conversation with one of the teenage girls and a staffer who is an exchange student from Korea.

Me (to the urban teenager): why are you wearing socks with your sandals?
Teenager: Because, I don't like it when people see my feet!
Korean exchange student: Really? I don't let anyone see my forehead!
Me: I try to always hide my ankles!

maybe it is because our cultures are so varied and intricately shaped around decades of history and painful experiences... maybe it is because people are universally weird, no matter where we are from.

Kids
This happened today, when I asked an eight year old girl to describe a woman who was a circus performer.

Me: How big is this lady? Is she the same size as you, or more like my size?
Girl: Well, she is the same size as the elephant she is standing next to... so yes, she is about the same size as you.

What taught me the most...
After the girls had gone home, and just the staff lingered... The closing prayer by the director of last week's camp:
"Father, we in our understanding want to ask you to protect these girls and to shield them from all pain as they go home. But really, what we must pray is that they come to know you, no matter what it takes."