What’s Cooking: Camp Easter Seals a worthy endeavor
During the third week of May, I attended Camp Easter Seals, which is on the shores of Old Hickory Lake in Wilson County. As I have mentioned before in years past, this camp is unequally unique as it was built for the sole purpose so that the disabled, no matter how severe, may enjoy the great outdoors.
Activities such as canoeing, pontoon boat riding, swimming, archery, rifle range, art and craft, or just setting around making lasting friends with other campers who may live hundreds of miles away from one another. From Memphis to the tri-cities area in Tennessee, disabled campers come to the 90-acre lakefront property. Campers from Colorado, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia have also enjoyed the camp’s facilities.
Those from Colorado and Kentucky were formally from Tennessee. Then there are the camp counselors who aid the campers in daily rituals, such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and the scheduling of daily activities. During the past four or five years, many of the counselors came from a organization called Americorps. The organization has several diversions throughout the country. The counselors are college age and really did come from all parts of the country — Minnesota, Louisiana, South Carolina, and New York. These are but a few that I knew about. I was told they work three weeks at a place, then move to location and work a similar length of time.
In the afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 a “rest period” is observed. Some may take a nap while others may use the time being with and talking with friends. A friend and I have set under the shade of a tree during this time for the past few years. At this particular spot we can see the boat traffic skimming over the water of Old Hickory Lake. This year we had another friend to join us.
He told me something that really got me to thinking. First, he told me about the first time he came to camp. During that time, none of the camp’s buildings were air-conditioned. The cabins were uncomfortably hot. No one had told him he needed to bring a electric fan. I had one with me and had it going full blast. I don’t exactly remember doing such, but he said I turned the fan so that he could feel it. After a number of years he still talks about the time I turn the fan on him.
He also said I told him something, that as he got older he would learn. He must not have believed me. But he told me that it turned out like I had said.
Lots of times what one says or does may appear insignificant. But it may turn out to be a real blessing. Abraham Lincoln, in his great speech, said what was said that day would probably not be remembered, but yet it is one of the most quoted speeches in American history. It should give us a feeling of achievement to learn that we have helped somebody by what we said or done.