When I was a kid, my dad was the director of a summer camp. We lived in Atlanta for the school year, but every summer we would drive up to Massachusetts where the camp was, and spend the entire summer there. I did this every summer for ten years. This was difficult at times since leaving your friends for months at a time when you are in elementary or middle school is less than ideal, but I was never too upset because I knew I would get to meet new people at the camp.
The summer camps were during the week and there were baseball tournaments on the weekends. I rarely participated in the camps for the entire week. I mostly just lived there. Kids would come for either one week or one weekend and then leave. Despite that, I would still make friends with the kids who went there. When I got older, probably like 11, I started working at the camp store. Most summer camps have a place where the campers can buy candy and soda and other junk food, and I would work as the cashier. This gave me more of an opportunity to interact with the campers.
Kids, and a lot of times parents, would ask me how I got a job there, and there really is no quick explanation. I would tell them my dad ran the camp. They would ask if I lived there. I would tell them I did for the summer, but I actually lived in Atlanta. They would ask why my dad worked at a camp in Massachusetts if we lived in Atlanta. I found that to be the most tedious part of the job. I hated that I had to explain myself to every customer. But really what would happen is after I would tell my life story, they would tell me theirs. I got to learn about a lot of different people from different backgrounds. I was able to meet people from all over the country, some I was shocked to find out who had traveled farther than me to go to a tournament or a week of camp there, and I am still grateful for that experience.
I believe in learning about people because it gives you a greater perspective. Most of us, especially when we’re kids, kind of live in a bubble and don’t know much about what life is like outside of our hometowns. I’m sure for some people, going to college was a little bit of culture shock if for no other reason than everyone is from somewhere else. I was able to have a similar experience a little earlier in life and because of that I feel like I am better able to relate to people whose lives are very different than mine. I think that learning about people leads to empathy and understanding.