As a kid, I used to go to a YMCA camp for a few weeks at a time. I mentioned a little of those days in an earlier post, ‘Canoeing and decision making in the BWCA’. If you run a search at my blog for YMCA you will find it, or click on the link.
Camp was a place where everyone was made to feel special. The councilors and staff were very special people. They each had many gifts that apparently I lack. More likely I just would not have the patience to hone my skills day in and day out as they did at camp. They were our Mom’s, Dads, Teachers, and Baby Sitters twenty four hours a day, a week at a time. They took care of us kids – from all walks of life, different life experiences, needs, and problems. They did a spectacular job, and I admire them for what they did for all of us that were fortunate enough to attend their camp.
I was watching television last week (?), The Tonight Show. I rarely watch The Tonight Show, but there is a die hard Tonight Show fan in the house. If I am in the front room when The Tonight Show rolls around, I watch the show by default. I was doing something this particular night when Jay finished his monologue, and was talking with his guests.
Jay had someone on who has their own show, and they were discussing politics of course in a round about fashion. The talk turned to the presidential candidates and they danced around race without really naming race as an issue in the debate.
The guest, (wish I knew who he was, so I could give him credit) made an interesting observation from some data collection, or surveys, or other data mining. The guest said that there is division among voters that is driven primarily by age. The dividing line seemed to be around fifty years old. Americans over fifty were more likely to take race into consideration than younger voters who appear to be ignorant that the race of an individual might be taken into consideration of their ability to do a job.
Growing up as a kid, I experienced ‘The Pill’. The pill caused a huge ripple in society because for the first time in history it allowed women to be as sexually indiscreet as men if they so wanted to be. That was the biggest freedom to come into woman’s life in decades!
A few years later, and fortunately for me I was in my teens, the Woman’s Rights movement was in full swing, and burning bras became a national pastime for some women. As a teenager, I had no idea of the full impact of the movement, but I sure was a happy camper when I saw the first women walking down the street bra-less! That was about the extent of my understanding, and I did not realize the political overtones of her actions.
One summer at the YMCA camp we were in line to go swimming, and two boys were making fun of a third boy. One of the boys and the odd boy out were to tag up for safety while swimming, and I was to be the buddy of the other boy. I did not understand why they were making fun of him, but I said I would be his buddy. We hit it off, and we were swimming buddies all week long. There were a couple more incidents as I remember. The situation repeated itself with a few boys who were black the same summer.
Each time when I got home I would ask my parents why these boys were being singled out and teased. My folks would frown and look troubled as they thought out a good explanation. It was my introduction to the world of social presumed inequity and intolerance. It seems after watching Jay Leno the issue continues, at least for people over fifty.
I am glad I was there for, ‘The Pill, Martin Luther King, bra burning, equal rights, and every other social change that happened during those years. While it seems apparent that we as a generation did not cure ourselves of afflictions that should have been laid to rest years ago, our children thankfully have a more mature view of the world. I am happy I was a small part of that, even if only as a ignorant, ogling teenager.
