I could go on again, and say how I’ve had my eyes opened again today, but the events of this Tuesday I could’ve seen coming. I’m really glad they came too.

I had the opportunity to meet briefly with many scholorship sponsors today, and voice to them personally how important coming to camp, particularly state camp, is. It’s the audience, it’s the atmosphere, it’s the laughter on the surface, and the life lessons I learn each year, that bring me back. No where else can I perform in front of two hundred plus people, who all have the intention to see the rest of the crowd around them burst into laughter.

Tribal meetings, are the place that all the campers of your tribe come together and put together songs, yells, funny stunts, and top ten lists… etc… to perform later on at council circle. Today, I missed the first tribal meeting, as I was spending time with my fellow scholarship winners and our sponsors, as I’d mentioned earlier.

This course of events, and the fact that my brother, Jacob , five years my junior, has come to camp with me for years now, led me to something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

At council circle, among friends new and old… laughter erupted and I got to be the one sitting in the stands, participating only slightly in the show in the center. Center stage, along with another young camper I’m making friends with this week, my brother was responsible for bringing out the laughter all around me, especially mine.

He’s finding his niche here, just as I have, and it gives me such a great sense of pride to see him learning the value of laughter.

How How.