The Camp Echo Lake Trail

Have you ever had a Monday morning when you felt like nothing was going your way?  You know, “Murphy’s Law” seemed to be everywhere you turned?  Let’s start with what the definition of Murphy’s Law is: “A rule that states, “If something can go wrong, it will.” An addition to this law reads, “and usually at the worst time.” The identity of “Murphy” is unknown, but the saying was first used during the 1940s and may have originated with members of the armed forces in World War II.

So have you had one of those mornings?  Your alarm didn’t go off so you overslept. You couldn’t find your school bag/keys/wallet/assignment/[insert any other important and time sensitive item]. You trip up the stairs.  You leave your lunch on the counter (don’t forget you couldn’t find your wallet before you left!).  You don’t have an umbrella and there is an unexpected torrential downpour.  You are only left wondering, “What’s next?” It’s actually comical when you play it back, but when you are in the midst of a “Murphy’s Law Monday” is there anything you can do?

I would argue “Yes!” and the answer is simple.  The antidote to Murphy’s Law actually hangs in the Camp Echo Lake dining hall.  I know you’re with me – and hopefully smiling  – it’s so very simple: ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE! Of course having a positive attitude will not prevent your alarm clock from not going off, but it will change how you deal with that hiccup in your morning.  A positive attitude won’t help you avoid tripping up the stairs, but it may allow you to laugh at yourself a little easier! A positive attitude won’t necessarily help you remember your lunch, but it may help you problem solve a solution.

At camp – and in every day of life – we face things that we could interpret as “Murphy’s Law.”  How many times did we really, really hope the rain would hold off just a few more hours so we could make sure that a super awesome evening activity could happen?  What I remember is the times that we were able to take a rained out activity and turn ‘Plan B’ into a fantastic and unexpected camp memory!

There is no bubble around camp that protects us from hiccups in the plan, but there is ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE that fuels our positivity, our problem solving and our fun factor!  Camp isn’t as terrific as it is because every day and every situation is perfect – no place and no situation is ever perfect.  Camp is awesome because we practice the antidote to Murphy’s Law all the time.  Rather than believing “if something can go wrong, it will go wrong,” we believe that lots of things will go really well … and we also believe if something does go wrong, we can pull together as a team, problem solve, stay positive and make lemonade out of lemons!

This Monday morning, when I felt like Murphy’s Law was lurking, I brought to mind that gold sign with green letters hanging in the dining room and I smiled.  I can’t prevent mishaps or stumbles from happening, but I can control how I deal with those hiccups in my day.  I choose to bring the Camp Echo Lake ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE into my day and it makes an enormous difference!

I encourage you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the dining room at camp.  Picture that sign hanging above your head and when you are faced with a setback in your day, decide to stay positive, problem solve and maybe even find the humor in the situation!

Sending you big hugs and warm, fuzzy and positive thoughts,

Brenda