Standing up in front of a crowd with a spotlight centered on you is a situation very few people feel comfortable in, and even less for which people volunteer. The number one fear among Americans is speaking in front of people, followed by the number two fear, death. As Jerry Seinfeld points out, that means most people would rather be in the casket at a funeral than giving the Eulogy. I’ve always found these sentiments to be true. Most people hate getting up in front of people where the slightest mistake can mean a lifetime of embarrassment. But… then I came to Camp Highlander.
Things are different here. For those alumni readers out there, such a statement comes as no surprise. You know exactly what I mean. For those new to the Highlander Family, allow me to explain in further detail.
Keeping the idea in your head that the majority of the population is afraid of being in front of a crowd, now think about performing just in front of your family. Does your reaction to the idea change? The fears of public performance seem to dissipate when the audience is full of those we hold most dear. Why? It could be trust. We trust our family not to judge us for our mistakes, but to praise us on our efforts. It could be familiarity. We know the ins and outs of our family members because we live with each other in a supportive community. And then it could be love. We unconditionally love each one of our family members, no matter what they do, and we know they love us the same.
So far this summer, we have had three different evening programs at camp that provide campers the opportunity to get up on stage and perform. It’s not a requirement, but a choice. And each time, without fail, an overwhelming number of campers volunteer to be vulnerable out there in the spotlight. There’s no stage fright. There’s no judgement. There’s only fun.
At Camp Highlander, we don’t fit into the normal statistics because this is no normal place. This is A Place Like No Other. Whatever the reason, performing for family is an entirely different animal because you are not afraid of being your true self. The reason why performing at CH is the same as performing for family? Because Camp Highlander Is Family.
Until next time,
One Love
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