Family Camp and Another Fact About Me

We spent the weekend at Family Camp in Chula Vista. I didn't take pictures, so if that's what you're waiting for, you may stop reading now. Family camp is a fun annual tradition for our church. One that we have not been able to participate in for a couple years. It felt great to be able to go again. Grandpa was with us last year and I think he could sense that we were not going because of him and he was trying to convince us that he really enjoys camping and that he would love to go. We finally dissuaded him by telling him that the cabins have no restrooms in them and that he would have to make his numerous night-time visits off-site. Short story long, we didn't go. But I digress.

I took my book with me in anticipation of some calm reading time on the porch swing of "our little house" as Wyatt called the cabins. Here is where the Carrie Fact comes into play. I have always loved to read...that's not the fact. Patience, reader, patience. When I was in 6th grade, I was reading A Little Princess. As I read, I found myself in a bit of a sad state. I began to feel lonely and withdrawn. Then I put it together...I was taking on the feelings of the main character in my book! Since then I have found myself doing this with most of the books I read. So back to my happy porch swing reading time. The book I took with me was chosen by my book club and is entitled Crow Lake. It is well-written and captures emotions well. The problem with this book is that it is horribly tragic. SPOILER ALERT: It is about 4 siblings (primarily a 6 year old girl) that must rely on themselves and the other families in their poor farming town after their parents are killed in a car accident. It deals a lot with the family dynamics, the psychological impact it has on them as adults, and pushing down feelings in the name of survival.

What does this have to do with family camp? I found myself feeling oddly antisocial. I was melancholy and wanted to keep to myself. This is not like me! I normally seek out social situations and love any excuse to chat with friends. I could not figure out what brought on this funk! It was not until I finished my book and we were at the end of our 2nd day that I remembered my tendency to step into the feelings of the characters in my current book.

I apologize if you were at family camp and felt the impact of my bleh. I'm pretty sure that's the official name for it. Bleh. I did not mean to offend. Next year, I will take the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Or at least something light-hearted so I don't slight my friends.