The Friends Thing
I do not like singing Friends at camp. I loved it when I was a kid, but that song is a counselor’s worst nightmare. One of two things happens when you sing Friends : a) all of your campers start bawling, and you have a huge mess on your hands or b) none of your campers look close to sad, and you suddenly become a spaz. Didn’t they have fun? Won’t they miss me? Why aren’t they crying? I always cried. Why aren’t they crying? Is something wrong with them? The other kids are crying. Why aren’t they crying?
This song was invented to torture poor little campers who are dreading Saturday morning. It is supposed so reassure people that distance does not destroy friendships. All it succeeds in doing is reminding them that they are never again going to see some of the people they met at camp as long as they live.
I have a personal problem with Friends. I am supposed to be the counselor and reassure the campers that everything will be okay. But certain people can set me off during this song if they just look at me with a sad face. They know this, too, and use it to the best of their advantage.
I am also too short for this song. Whenever you sing it, you are supposed to hug your friends or stand in a big long swaying line. It works better when I stand on a bench. You’d think it would work the opposite way, that I’d be too tall for the ten year olds and that wouldn’t work either. Not true. Half of them are taller than I am.
I am considering bringing six inch spiked heels to camp this summer. They might be a little hard to work with on trips to Ol’ Baldy, but the Friends sing-a-longs would definitely benefit from this. I don’t understand what happened to me. I was growing great until seventh grade. Then I stopped at five feet two inches (minus a quarter).
If Shaquille O’Neil ever comes to camp, I don’t plan on making friends with him. It would just make singing Friends way too difficult. I already have enough problems with the song as it is.
But at least I could clap to it if it were a clapping song.
Heather didn’t make us sing Friends at her camp. For this, I think she deserves the Dean of the Year Award.