The Camper

The Camper.  My Enlightened Discoveries from camping in Bryce National Park.

The Camper has always been an elusive character in my mind...a mystery.  My experience has been minimal, beginning with a camping trip to Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia when I was around 8 years old.  It was a disaster, ending in a morning of muddy packing after a torrential rainstorm in the night knocked down the tent.  I never saw that tent again.  Friends of mine reintroduced me about four years ago and I arrogantly poo-pooed the idea of a campground and their pancake breakfast.  My friends’ excitement over the whole thing never left my memory, and I stored it away to explore when I was ready.  Thank you to my good friends, Randy and Audrey!  I hope to enjoy many more camping adventures with them in the future!

Now I’m ready.  And here’s what I have discovered.

The Camper.  They are in the back of a pickup truck with ratty old blankets.  They are in million dollar plus class A motorhomes with a washer and dryer.

The Camper.  They are grilling a 99 cent pack of hot dogs.  They are grilling lobster tail and T-Bone steak.

The Camper.  They are walking their scruffy little yappy mutt.  They are walking their airdale purebreds--one for him and one for her.

The Camper.  They are alone.  They are groups of twenty.

The Camper.  They play their music loud until quiet time at ten.  They sit in silence looking up at the stars.

The Camper.  Couples take early morning walks hand in hand.  Couples play cards at the picnic table.

The Camper.  They drink cowboy coffee made over an open flame.  They drink freshly brewed Keurig cups.

The Camper.  The kids play horseshoes.  The parents get beat by the kids in a game of  horseshoes.

The Camper.  They drink sun tea brewed in a pitcher left in the sun.  They drink ice cold beer.

The Camper.  They sit in a chair outside and read a book.  They explore Nature.

The Camper.  They have a spat over mud on the astroturf.  They are inside the RV “resting” for an hour.  He he.

The Camper.  They are brand new lovers tucked away in a two-person tent in the most remote site.  They have been married for over 50 years and are sitting in the middle of the campground to make new friends as others walk by. (We met Bob and Grace from Flagstaff, Arizona this morning and talked for almost an hour! AND I got a sweet and sincere hug goodbye from Grace.)

And what do we all have in common?  Well, we are all here to enjoy the outdoors.  We all have a common goal.  To connect with Nature.  We are poor, we are rich, we are middle class.  Where else can we all get together like this?

So, I can now say.  I AM A CAMPER.