Mitch

I don't know why I've never written about this before or why I haven't recalled it until now but here it is. I believe I remember the kid's name and that it does start with the letter 'M' but for anonymity, I will call him Mitch.

Yes, this is a camp story.


Summer of 2006. I worked at a summer camp down in Brown County for the whole summer. I can't remember which week this but I believe it was sometime in mid- to late-July. This particular week there were less campers and there was also a simulataneous, specialized camp going on called Hang Out Work N Stuff where older teens went out with our counselors to build houses in the community. So, there were only a handful of cabins this particular week. I believe I had five campers. One of them was Mitch.

He quickly became a problem. He'd disappear on us all the time. He would not get along with the other campers in our cabin. Every activity and every person was "gay" or "stupid." It was frustrating to say the least. I believe he was 9 or 10 but I can't remember exactly. So Mitch was the one problem kid I had that week. My co-counsloer David and I struggled in vain to get him interested and to keep him with the group.

Well, we found a few things out a day or two later. Mitch was a foster child. Looking back, I should've talked my parents into adopting him, he would have been a great little brother. Anways. Not only that but his brother, who was also a foster child, was at camp. Apparently they lived, for whatever reason, in seperate foster homes and so never saw each other. That is until camp.

So now I understood. But it still posed a problem. David and I both had seperate talks with Mitch but nothing changed. That is, until the overnight, which was Wednesday night. Our adventure group (a boy and a girl cabin together form an adventure group) hiked out and went to our camping spot, away from all the other cabins. I think by now Mitch and I were starting to form a bond of some kind. Whenever we did activities, he wanted to be on my team. He wanted me to be his canoing partner in the lake, etc. I obliged because I knew it would help him enjoy himiself.

On the overnight, we had a mini game of capture the flag. Mitch was on my team of course. I inadvertantly knocked another of my campers down while chasing him, but that's another story. He also helped us cook dinner, gather wood, etc. Overall, he started to be more a part of the team. I think it was a combination of all of us accepting him and allowing him to particiapte, as well as David and I setting stern ground rules (but also allowing him time to visit his brother) that helpped Mitch.

Over the course of the rest of week, he stayed more with our group, interacted more and got along with the other boys in my cabin, and did what David and I asked of him. It was great.

On the last day of camp, as his foster parents' car pulled away, he shouted out the window at me, "See ya Will!" I could hear the week's enjoyment emanating in his voice.

"Have a great summer, buddy!" I shouted back.