During meal times, we have a few different cheers. If someone yells "SPIRIT CHEEEECK!!!" then there's a pattern that everyone bangs on the table and has fun. It's fun, but can get old real quick if it's done so much you can't eat. There's also a call that makes an individual get up and shake their booty, and if the kids get creative you could end up doing the worm, dancing with a trashcan, or serenading somebody!
Roger is a camper who is no stranger to Camp Twin Lakes. He's been to several other camps which he qualifies for, and absolutely loves it. Roger had a brain injury that left him with limited mobility; he is in a wheelchair most of the time but can go short distances on crutches. Roger is a big fan of spirit checks and calls them at almost every opportunity. He often calls on people to do ridiculous things such as trashcan dancing or I'malittleteapoting. As much fun as he was having, I had a hard time imagining what would happen if he was called on to do something, and that maybe he was even safe from it.
Eventually, it happened. "Hey Roger! Shake your booty!" "no!" "shaake yoour boooty!" "NO!" (that's the script, btw) "SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!" "OKAY!" and with a big grin on his face, Roger pulled himself up in between two tables and wiggled along as everyone in the dining hall sang the song "Jump! shake your booty, Jump Jump shake your booty!"
During the Luau Party at the pool (one of our regular evening events here at Camp Twin Lakes), Roger decided that he wanted to try going down the water slide. Bear in mind, Roger pretty much has to stay against the wall of the shallow end propping himself up against the wall any time he's in the pool. He'd never been down a slide before in his life, and it was time. After putting him in a life-jacket, two staff members helped him up the stairs while one waited at the bottom of the slide. The whole pool turned to cheer him on, and I (who was filling in for the band that canceled last minute) made up a song about him going down the slide on the spot.
I could tell from the ground he was nervous, and getting in the slide seemed to be a challenge all in itself. When Kaz, my roommate, pushed him down the slide there was a silence across the pool as we waited for him to come out the bottom. Sure enough - Splash! - Roger came flying out the bottom into the arms of Ben, another roommate of mine. "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" I heard him say.
Roger is a reminder that things like brain injuries and wheel chairs don't limit, they just pose new challenges. Roger's constant calling for people to check their spirits can be taken outside of the dining hall and the pool to everywhere in life. The next day, Roger went down the slide eleven times.
And then made me sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" at dinner.
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