"Doing What I Enjoy Doing Most"

Northern Dancer

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I've had a fabulous career; with five distinctive competencies, though all "cousins" and related to people work. I've used camping/canoeing as a way to refresh, renew, rejuvenate myself and shake off the effects of living in the world that seemingly is darker than ever.

My first real exposure to camping was when I was sent to a Y camp at the age of twelve. I hated it and thought that my Mother had sent me there to get rid of me or at least punish me in some sort of way. I went AWOL. I hitched hiked home and found my Mom in the kitchen. "What are doing home," she asked. " I didn't like camp," I said. "Oh," she said. "How did you get here?" Gesturing with my finger, "I hitched a ride." "Oh," she said. "You can hitch a ride back because you are not staying here." There was a few moments of deafening silence, then a turned and left. When on the sidewalk, I turned and went back into the house. "Can I have something to eat, I'm hungry." "No," she said. Off I went and got back to camp in the wee hours of the morning.

I didn't know it but the Y had called and told her that I was absent and she told them that she would be sending me back. I didn't know that they had agreed that no one would say anything about my disappearance. I thought I was going insane. "No one even missed me," I thought to myself as I tried to figure out what was going on.

Anyway ... I got rid of the attitude and in time not only did I love the place like crazy, come university I took over the camp as the Programme Director.

Camping is in my blood.

I have excellent equipment, sound skills, lots of experience and continue to improve my expertise. It's also been my pleasure to instruct various aspects of the Arts of Camping to a variety of groups and lead youth in canoe adventures. I enjoy solo canoeing and can sit in one place for hours just soaking in the environment.

 
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