Hold Your Tongue

Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting along with people you cannot stand.

Samuel Goldwyn

Those of you who know me, know I can be a bit much sometimes. I am stubborn, and I like to be in charge more often than not. I am much like my dad in that aspect. Like him, I naturally like to place myself in leadership positions. My downfall is that when someone does not listen, I do not handle it well. This is not some feminist piece or anything, but the reality is as a young woman, I do not get the same respect a man my age would. I also do not get nearly the same amount of respect as my father. I get talked over, my ideas get passed up, and my opinion typically does not matter. While I don’t have this problem with my dad, I have had this issue with almost every employee he has hired. Typically, the help is around 10 years older than me. What 30-year-old wants to listen to a 22-year-old girl. Because of this, every year I have to fight to be respected. I have to fight for my opinion to matter. My dad is a brilliant man, and he notices my struggle. He offers words of wisdom, and each year I get better and better at how I handle this issue. 

So this year, I finally felt like I was getting somewhere and it all came crashing down. I mean at some point in your life you are going to have to work with someone you can not stand, right? Well unfortunately that point is right now. I am working with that person where no matter what we are doing, we don’t see eye to eye. Pair that with my stubbornness and you get a headache for dad.

In an attempt to quell the situation, and save dad some stress, this year I am practicing the art of holding my tongue. All I can say is baby-steps.

Otherwise this was a really great week. Dad had to go into town for two days to run some errands, but my friends in the Moose cabin took me in, and we played cards to pass the time. I came in a very close second place, but I put up a good fight. It was a much-needed distraction.

We also had a lot of kids in camp this week which brings a very relaxed atmosphere. I always enjoy hearing their fish stories and seeing the excitement on their faces when they talk about all the big fish they had caught during the week.

A big thanks to everyone for being so supportive this year. We want you to know that it is greatly appreciated!

You Should Write a Book

So, really, is anyone surprised that we are only on blog 3 and I am already behind? Yeah, me either. It has been a start to the season unlike any other. You would not believe me if I told you. With all the chaotic craziness that has been going on I just want to take a moment to thank all of you. Thank you for being supportive, thank you for being understanding, thank you for just being there for us when we need it. You all are amazing, and we would not be here if it were not for all of you, especially those from the past two weeks. You know what I am talking about.

I would also like to announce I will not be leaving like I thought I was, but I will in fact be here for most of the season. I am both excited and sad. While I was looking forward to being home, I really do love it here and will be quite happy.

Our second week of guests was a bit different than what we are used to here. Typically, each cabin is a separate group of people and no one really knows each other. Well this week, all but one cabin was together. Everyone was so friendly. Maybe a little two friendly as on Saturday afternoon I was treated to so much free booze and beer I was out of commission for all of Sunday…oops. Needless to say I did not have anything to drink for the rest of the week, and the running joke for the week was, “Maddie, want a beer?”

The week was also different for me, because this whole group was new to me. Last time I had stayed in camp, they had come in the day I left, and I missed all the fun. We were not short on fun this time though. Tuesday afternoon there was an impressive wrestling match that took place.

The main this I want to touch on this week were some really unique questions I was asked by the group. Questions that I had not really been asked before, which I think are important.

The first question was, “How do you feel about camp?” This is a question I have not had since we started up here. Anymore I am asked do you like it up here, or what do you think of you dad owning this place. When I asked how I felt about the camp, it was very refreshing. Quite honestly this camp has become an irreplaceable part of my life, part of my history, and part of what shaped me into the person I am today. I honestly do not know where I would be if dad had not bought this place, probably applying for vet schools. I really do not know. I feel this place is the best thing to happen to my life.

The next question, and my all-time favorite question ever, was, “Do you appreciate it?” What he meant by this was, do you appreciate being out here, the camp, and the opportunities you get from this? And the reason I like this question is because the answer may not be what you think. Honestly, no, I do not always appreciate this place like it deserves. You get busy, you get tired, you get frustrated and you forget what this place is all about. When the weather s bad, you get mad about the weather and forget to appreciate the place as a whole. When you are working and cleaning, it is very easy to forget. I have to remind myself more and more every year to appreciate what I have here. I have to remind myself to look out over the lake on a nice day and take it all in and really, truly see the beauty in nature. I have to remind myself that hey, good luck trying to find anyone in this world who has had the same opportunities and the same experiences you have had.

The second question ties into this final one. It was more of a statement. During the week I had someone say to me, “You must be ready to get back to normal life, this can’t be normal.” When he said that, I laughed and explained that this life, it becomes your normal. You don’t look at it like it is some crazy, adventurous thing you are doing. You look at it like wow it is another season already. Wow it is time for dad to leave again. So, thank you all for giving m something to really think about this week.

The fishing this week had just started to pick up due to the late ice out, but that didn’t stop them.

Finally, congrats to Jim Denor! Your name was picked to be entered into the drawing to win a free trip at the end of the season!