Sub-Senior Vespers – August 2, 2020 – Adaptability
Adaptability can mean so many things in different scenarios. I particularly enjoy this theme as it is very applicable to our daily lives now and potentially for many months in the future. Of course I thought of our current situation — how Camp was still able to open and successfully operate during a pandemic — but adaptability is something that everyone has the opportunity to do all the time. Imagine what it would be like if we couldn’t adapt.
I started thinking about my first summers at Camp. I was a scared adolescent who had never left home for more than a week, let alone seven. I came to Camp “late”, according to camp standards, when I was 12. Before that age I was not physically fit and healthy enough to participate in half the activities and walk up the hill ten times a day. Coming to Camp, I was healthier than I had ever been. Even so, I was a child with both a congenital heart condition and a lung condition. I had to make a lot of changes and adjustments to the rigor of camper activities. I worked to participate to my full ability, but not burn out. I was always good at self-regulating and knowing what was too much for my body but I had never had to test it every day, 24/7. On any given day you would find me taking extra water breaks in tennis, sitting on the pier to let my lungs get some air for a second, or sitting down and checking my pulse while all of my other peers didn’t bat an eye at the 5 minute warm up drill. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but what I was regularly implementing in my daily life was adaptability. I was adapting. Even though I had to adapt, the quality of my experience was incredible.
Camp was the first place I felt 100% comfortable pushing my limits (in a very safe and controlled way) and I always knew my counselors would understand if I needed to adapt the lesson plan to my abilities. The biggest skill I developed from adaptability is creativity. When my body couldn’t handle the extra buoy lap, even though my brain was begging it to, I had to figure out how to explain it to my counselors. I had to learn in my own way how to explain to others my physical limits. To me it was simple, when I was gasping for air, my heart was racing, and I knew I couldn’t continue, it was time for me to stop. But learning how to verbalize what I was feeling, describe to another human that I know my body well enough to self-regulate was a challenge and I had to be confident. In the outside world, before I came to Wawenock, I always had my parents and doctors to back up what I was saying. My parents did most of the talking when I was in the hospital and my doctors signed the forms allowing for adapted gym classes. But not at Camp. I was on my own.
I had to navigate adapting the activities by myself. Most of the time it was frustrating not being able to keep up with my friends. I remember the cow island trip when I was in Cabin One. I was told beforehand that there was going to be a sea kayaking trip, but they were not sure I was going to be able to participate. I was super bummed because all of my friends were going to go and once again I would not be able to keep up with them. We brainstormed many ideas but the solution was very simple — a two person kayak. I was able to keep up with my friends, and also share a kayak with my counselor Maxie.
There are three key traits to adaptability. The creativity to try. The patience to wait until the right solution becomes clear. And finally the confidence to advocate for the solution and make it possible. Not only are these qualities necessary for the individual, it is also something we need to foster as the collective. Adaptability is a choice. It’s not a requirement. I could have sat out of the kayaking trip, and it would have been the easier option. I chose to put in the effort to find a solution, and I had an amazing time. We are all here today because Catriona, Andy, Kristy, and Gail were all of these things. They made it possible for all of us to come together, against all odds, and have a summer we will never forget.
-Anika Stetz (camper ’15-’18, staff ’19-’20)