Theme: Summer Camp

July 22, 2013 at 8:17 am · Filed under stories, sunday setup and tagged: Camp, minnesota, Recreation, summer, Summer camp

< by Jill >

In Minnesota, some time around August, the heat pitches to a sweaty degree and the air smells of fish and algae. It’s approximately this time each year that children start holding their noses before they jump in the lake. To cope, thousands of parents pack up the car and drop their kids off at Trout Lake Camp, a land that knows no fishy-swamp smells.

For several years, I found myself at Trout Lake Camp. It’a a Christian camp that teaches kids the word of the Lord in an exceptionally relevant way. These days, internet bullying and violence are probably the hot-button issues. But one topic, regardless of generation, is always on the docket: purpling.

Allow me to explain: If a girl (red) likes a boy (blue) and they’re caught canoodling (handholding, necking, sneaking around past dark), they’re liable to be doused by two camp counselors, one female and one male, whose respective super-soakers contain red and blue dye. As a result, the young paramours turn — you guessed it — purple.

Girls and boys who enter the cafeteria with dye-doused shirts elicit hushed oohs and ahhs from an audience of squirmy, awkward teens who can’t quite pinpoint if they’re horrified or impressed. (Author’s note: I was impressed, but never purple.)

In the coming days, you’ll hear other camp stories from the likes of Zack, Annie, and Brennan. Stay tuned, and feel free to submit your own story or anecdote by commenting below!

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