PAST DAY CAMPERS SEEN ON FACBOOK

I was just clicking through facebook and found a few of my past day camp kids via a Streets of Roselle group I found. I flipped through all of the people to see if I recognized anyone and I saw several of the kids I used to watch in the summer. They are now full grown adults, some going to college and some graduating from Lake Park this year. Wow, that makes me really old.

I was a day camp counselor for Roselle Park District's Tall Pines Day Camp for four summers during the end of high school and early college. I still have random dreams about losing a kid at a baseball game, doing crafts at the lodge and the other day I dreamt about going to the pool with the kids and having to find some kids missing sock.

This job played a big part in who I am today - it paid close to nothing - but it was a great way to spend the summer. I was able to be a real leader in this job, worked with a bunch of my close friends and I'd like to think I was a good role model for the children we watched.

I remember having all of the kids on the bus ready to leave the Rockford Cubbies game only to find out - after doing several head counts - that Brandon was no where to be found. Brandon was in kindergarten, one of the youngest we had on the field trip. I told my fellow counselors to stay on the bus with the kids while I went and looked for him. I didn't want to look like I was scared to death someone just abducted one of our campers, but I was! I walked through the stadium three times and finally found him. He was with my older brother Tom's day camp group. Tom was a counselor for the Bloomingdale Park District, he found Brandon wandering around aimlessly and took him into his pack of kids.

Tom said he wasn't really concerned about being lost from his group. He wanted cotton candy and took the money his mom gave him and bought some. He then walked around until he found my brother, who knew him and his family - knew how clueless this little guy was - so he kept him until I ended up meeting up with is group.

Looking back, taking 50 plus grade school kids to a baseball game was a huge responsibility. While I was doing it I had no fears. I never worried about losing a kid or having something bad happen to one of them. I believe having this type of responsibility early in my life was really good for me and helped me develop and mature at a quicker rate than some of my peers. I really hope the kids enjoyed the camp as much as I enjoyed it!

Shout out to my favorite day camp counselors: Eric, Adolfo, Gabby, Jennifer, Cathy Cassada, Alison Schroeder, Gigi, Lillie, Julie...and many more! Way to go Tall Pines Bunch...can you remember the songs I used to make the kids sing to all of their friends at the pool before we allowed them to change and go swimming? Good times!