Team Henderson embarks tomorrow morning to Sugar Pine Point campground for the 2009 Highway Camp Out. This is a highly anticipated return to the venue of our Family Camp outings of old.
From the moment we decided to attend this year there has been a buzz, an excitement shared amongst our family and friends. The old folks (parents) have very fond memories of our communal camping vacations. These experiences helped forge and reinforce the strong bonds between our families which have stood the test of time for decades (are we THAT old?).
Part of parenting is exposing your children to a wide variety of experiences. It is difficult, when the event is occurring, to get a real sense of the prolonged impact those events will have. Will they foment a love for the same experiences at adulthood? Or will you find out your kids were just indulging you all those years? At the time you simply do your best and hope that the combined experiences you share at least form warm memories.
And so it is the anticipation and excitement of returning to Sugar Pine Point expressed by our children that has been most compelling for me to observe. Listening to memories expressed from their point of view – and recognizing – a decade or more later – how meaningful and impactful those times were to them has filled me with … newstalgia.
It would be easy to fall into the grasp of nostalgia; the bittersweet longing for situations that have occurred in the past. And at first I was, indeed, feeling a bit nostalgic. Those thoughts became most pervasive when I realized that Joel would not be able to attend. How can you have Family Camp without Joel and Jon whittling? Without Becky getting there half a day early to reserve the very best sites (110 and 113 rock!)?
However, over time I have come to feel a true sense of newstalgia – a term I just made up – which I define as a longing for making new memories of present situations.
Our kids are fantastic and amazing and a joy to be around. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know them as adults. And they attract into our orbit spouses and friends that continue to enrich our community. Add to that we (the old folks) are growing and getting better and better ourselves (if I do say so!). Considering this – it makes me eager to experience Sugar Pine Point anew. What kind of fabulous new memories will we create this time around? Will it even feel the same? Will it be as exciting? Better?
Yes, as we go through the weekend I’m sure I’ll shed a private tear that some of the old regulars won’t be part of our community (Joel, Becky and others). A bit of nostalgia is okay. I am grateful that I have good enough memories about people that they can make me hurt from time to time.
However, I’m gearing up for a new adventure. Newstalgia! Bring it on!
Hip History....
7 years ago
8 comments:
Best Family Camp memories:
- almost slicing my knuckle off trying to cut a Y shaped branch off a tree to use as a slingshot.
- water wars against the girls / freaking Amy Harvey out.
- pulling my tooth out chewing on a Now & Later.
- pie irons.
- biking to and from "the store" about a hundred times a day.
- drinking enough Surge to put me into diabetic shock.
- whittling everything in sight.
- strategically filling a box full of junk in the hopes of having something they would call for the Double Stuf'd game.
- challenging the girls to collect more bottle-caps than us one year, only to realize years later that they could have cared less.
- tipping rafts on the annual float down the Truckee River.
- hammocks.
Awesome!
Joel, you have hit it on the head with your memories. I would add to that:
- homemade strawberry ice cream
- birthday parties (mine and hannah's)
- scraping along the ground as I fall off my bike again and again
- card playing
I'm sure there's more, but that's just off the top of my head. Looking forward to reliving family camp
JT
We even got to attend one year. What a fun group of people to get to know!
I remember:
-that it was so hot, on the drive over & back...we offered the guys truck (no air) & no kids OR van (w/ air) & kids. THEY chose truck.
-paying a quarter for 5 minutes of hot water to shower in.
-Tyler and Hannah taking baths in dish tubs behind our tent...they were that little!
-watching Joel, Jon, Aaron & Ryan ride their bikes down the huge hill @ Morrow Bay.
What a fun time! Have a great time reliving and making new memories!
joel - sweet list. you have such a great memory! Surge. That made me laugh! and whittling everything in sight.. including some knuckles as I recall ;)
do you remember the water fights with the Pantages'?
watching the matrix (some of the parents couldn't believe we'd so such a thing!)?
you swimming in lake tahoe! brrr!!!
and many, many more.
we will miss you my son. but, memories await when you visit in august!
love ya.
That reminds me I better bring a roll of quarters!!
I am cutting back on the number of band-aids I'm bringing this year.
I remember lots of beady buddies.
Although I have never experienced your family gatherings - you have such a way of writing and expressing your feelings, that I am transported to "the joy"! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It stirs within me, my own fond memories of family times and I LOVE the new word - I will use it at every opportunity "Newstalgia" WOW! You are really good!!! Enjoy and make those NEW memories and of course, always remember those who have left their mark in your life - or in my case, laughed with unlimited enthusiasm, with exuberance.... PEACE out!
vicki writes: always remember those who ... laughed with unlimited enthusiasm, with exuberance
or as I say.. she cackles! ;)
Oh my bro! As C and I are on Skpe, we were discussing this wonderful post. I agree with all she said and also have fond memories from our childhood.
I told her that she is going to make your head blow up by telling you how great your posts are. Let me just say there was as you call it...a lot of "C" going on.
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