Ben was timid at the start of the session. He saw how close the rest of the LITs were, and wasn’t sure if he’d fit into the group. In the evening Ben would talk with his counsellor about his day and how he was having fun, but was having trouble being himself and letting the other campers see who he really was. He said he was the ‘funny guy’ in his group of friends back home, and that he felt like this new group of people didn’t really click with him.
Midway through the session Ben left camp to attend a family event. He was pretty excited to go back to his own bed for a night and to use his phone and what not. But as he returned the next day, everyone saw that same excitement that he had when he left. This was the point where Ben really understood how welcoming RKY is, and how without even knowing it, he had made a home for himself at camp. He told his counsellor that when he was sitting at home, he was singing camp songs and counting the hours till he could come back.
Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Ben saw that camp is a place where he could be himself and not worry if he will fit in. RKY Camp is a place where all are welcome, and it’s the diversity in personalities that make the place so special. He had learned that the best way to make friends was to just be Ben.
