4. THE SLEEPING BAG
CONSIDERING HOW INTENSE I was about packing the car just so, it was hard to take the stuff out once I arrived. I was attached to it, like -- "you are my child and I am leaving you here on the ground with piles of other people's things while I go park the car?" Carefully I loaded my little red wagon and went to the designated place and arranged my things in a pile. Then I had to park the car, go to the Orientation Tent, watch a movie, sign up for two four-hour work shifts and get the program with all the details in it.
If you know me you know I do NOT make quick decisions. How was I to know what work shift to sign up for until I knew what WORKSHOPS to take? How would I know what workshops to take unless I read ALL the sheets of papers posted on the Workshop Bulletin Board? Time stopped. I read. I made notes. Other people signed up for things and left, talking and laughing. I was sweating and reading. By the time I was ready to sign up for a work shift the good ones were already taken! I chose to work in Brother Sun (the Boys Camp) and the Kitchen. Finally I ran back to the yard, a truck came and about five of us threw our stuff in the back. Like a trooper I climbed up and sat among duffle bags, suitcases and boxes of supplies among the other women who were surprised that I, being older, hadn't chosen to ride in the cab. (I will tell you now, being seventy is like being ten. "DAMN it if I'm going to sit in any darn CAB!")
By the time my stuff was unloaded at the base of the Over Fifties campsite, there was only twenty minutes to eat. Leaving my things by the road, I ran to the food tent and found a few pieces of bread and cheese. Came back to camp and a nice lady on her work shift filled a cart with some of my things and followed me with my loaded red wagon up the path to find the place I had hastily chosen and thrown a tarp on before going to eat.
No place with a tarp existed, however, on any path I was on. Round and round we went, looking at bushes and ferns and between trees. I saw people whose tents were up lounging, lounging, in white garments with drinks in their hands, reclining in chairs beside little tables while I, hauling all my stuff, was miserable and sweating it up the hill and around the paths looking for the darn tarp.
When I finally found it and put up the tent, with the kind help of Bunnie and Addie, and threw the mattress in and pumped it up and put on the sheets and placed my suitcases nicely along one wall and the drum in the corner...... there was no sign of the Sleeping Bag OR the Lunch Box. I couldn't believe it! No sign!
That sort of put me over the edge. I went down to the community tent practically in tears to the Lost and Found. No sign of a red sleeping bag and an orange lunch box. The poor girl in charge just looked at me and said, "Let me buy you a cup of tea." It was the most comforting tea I have had in years.
It turned out, three days later, after I had borrowed a bag from my new librarian friend, my bag and lunch box appeared, neatly sitting in the Lost and Found. I had left them in the piles on the ground of the yard, never even loaded them onto the truck. OF COURSE I got the sleeping bag back in time for the weather to be too warm to need it! !
CONSIDERING HOW INTENSE I was about packing the car just so, it was hard to take the stuff out once I arrived. I was attached to it, like -- "you are my child and I am leaving you here on the ground with piles of other people's things while I go park the car?" Carefully I loaded my little red wagon and went to the designated place and arranged my things in a pile. Then I had to park the car, go to the Orientation Tent, watch a movie, sign up for two four-hour work shifts and get the program with all the details in it.
If you know me you know I do NOT make quick decisions. How was I to know what work shift to sign up for until I knew what WORKSHOPS to take? How would I know what workshops to take unless I read ALL the sheets of papers posted on the Workshop Bulletin Board? Time stopped. I read. I made notes. Other people signed up for things and left, talking and laughing. I was sweating and reading. By the time I was ready to sign up for a work shift the good ones were already taken! I chose to work in Brother Sun (the Boys Camp) and the Kitchen. Finally I ran back to the yard, a truck came and about five of us threw our stuff in the back. Like a trooper I climbed up and sat among duffle bags, suitcases and boxes of supplies among the other women who were surprised that I, being older, hadn't chosen to ride in the cab. (I will tell you now, being seventy is like being ten. "DAMN it if I'm going to sit in any darn CAB!")
By the time my stuff was unloaded at the base of the Over Fifties campsite, there was only twenty minutes to eat. Leaving my things by the road, I ran to the food tent and found a few pieces of bread and cheese. Came back to camp and a nice lady on her work shift filled a cart with some of my things and followed me with my loaded red wagon up the path to find the place I had hastily chosen and thrown a tarp on before going to eat.
No place with a tarp existed, however, on any path I was on. Round and round we went, looking at bushes and ferns and between trees. I saw people whose tents were up lounging, lounging, in white garments with drinks in their hands, reclining in chairs beside little tables while I, hauling all my stuff, was miserable and sweating it up the hill and around the paths looking for the darn tarp.
When I finally found it and put up the tent, with the kind help of Bunnie and Addie, and threw the mattress in and pumped it up and put on the sheets and placed my suitcases nicely along one wall and the drum in the corner...... there was no sign of the Sleeping Bag OR the Lunch Box. I couldn't believe it! No sign!
That sort of put me over the edge. I went down to the community tent practically in tears to the Lost and Found. No sign of a red sleeping bag and an orange lunch box. The poor girl in charge just looked at me and said, "Let me buy you a cup of tea." It was the most comforting tea I have had in years.
It turned out, three days later, after I had borrowed a bag from my new librarian friend, my bag and lunch box appeared, neatly sitting in the Lost and Found. I had left them in the piles on the ground of the yard, never even loaded them onto the truck. OF COURSE I got the sleeping bag back in time for the weather to be too warm to need it! !
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