Slice-of-Life-graphicCan you point to a person or event that has truly impacted your life? Yesterday’s Google Doodle displayed 12 female artists visual responses to that question. Not being a visual artist, I am relying on my words and a couple of old photos taken with my Brownie Starflash camera in 1966 to answer that question for myself.

1966 was the year that I convinced my parents to allow me to attend a week-long girls’ church camp in the mountains. As I recall, no one else from my church went to camp that week. Although this flash picture was taken after lights out, I imagine I had that surprised look in my eyes many times over the week.  For the first time ever, I was no one’s annoying little sister. I didn’t have to be the student who wasn’t her outgoing, popular older sister no matter how hard she tried. I was just another camper in a cabin of twelve girls from all over the state of New Mexico.

We grew close as we cleaned our cabin for inspection each morning, took our turn washing the camp dishes, made leather crafts, and attended vespers together out under the pines. I learned that week to like myself as I was, just me, and decided to stop trying to be my big sister.

I would return to Inlow three more years as a camper and twice as a counselor. It was there that I decided to attend Hardin-Simmons University in Texas on loans and grants rather than live at home and attend the local state university. That first summer started me on the path to being the me I chose to be.