When I first started reading I thought "Alice in a naked boy's camp?"
I didn't like being sent away to camp. We slept in open cabins... it was always cold waking up and swimming in the chilly lake never invigorated me. I take hot showers to wakeup and swim in heated pools today. Great read, thank you!
What a wonderful and 'truth' story. I never had to go to any sort of camp but did send my son. After camp was over, he brought twelve of them home for a sleepover. Yikes!
I guess my parents were lucky in that all I brought home was the metal ashtray I made; I’m guessing the camp no longer encourages home smoking accessories among its crafts.
Many thanks! I subsequently went to a co-ed fine arts camp that was the antithesis of Nominingue - and I may write about that. Different context and new misadventures.
You have taken over a terrific camp. There is a longer version of the Nominingue story; please feel free to email me at david.goldbloom@gmail.ca if you want it for camp archival purposes!
You are most welcome to share it from my perspective but as to the mechanics and permissions, best to contact Alice Goldbloom, the person in charge of A Considerable Age (and a terrific writer and editor!)
David, your writing is funny and nuanced. As soon as I saw your camp’s name I decided to forward this to my close friend who went there during that era...also named David!
Thanks so much, Mimi. I spent much of my childhood in a state of gullible awe. I saw a coffee shop on St. Catherine Street when I was 9 or 10 that had a sign in the window saying “World’s Finest Coffee”. I was stunned, and wondered how they knew and whether they had to sample brews from all over the world. Accepting the unknowable as fact, I then thought, “How lucky am I to be standing in front of a shop that sells the world’s finest coffee?”
David, this is one delicious piece of writing about camp life. Your memory is archival given its details.
As usual your humor never fails you which I first encountered in the MCH ER many moons ago, describing my gaggle of social work students as lining up the next football tackle. Delighted to know you will be writing more so let us know where and when. Cannot wait!
Thanks, Mary Anne. And thanks as well for reminding me of my offhand remark in the ER of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, to be included in a forthcoming compendium of inappropriate remarks I’ve made throughout my professional career!
The “pleasure” in doing things ( you are not very good at ) is a lost art!
When I first started reading I thought "Alice in a naked boy's camp?"
I didn't like being sent away to camp. We slept in open cabins... it was always cold waking up and swimming in the chilly lake never invigorated me. I take hot showers to wakeup and swim in heated pools today. Great read, thank you!
What a wonderful and 'truth' story. I never had to go to any sort of camp but did send my son. After camp was over, he brought twelve of them home for a sleepover. Yikes!
I guess my parents were lucky in that all I brought home was the metal ashtray I made; I’m guessing the camp no longer encourages home smoking accessories among its crafts.
Many thanks! I subsequently went to a co-ed fine arts camp that was the antithesis of Nominingue - and I may write about that. Different context and new misadventures.
Great visuals! Camp was co-ed for me, cabins segregated and strictly supervised, but tender romance thrived nonetheless.
Wonderful to read this... I'm the Director of Camp Nominingue and attended in the mid 70s with my 3 brothers. My best friend was named... David.
Oops. I completely pooched my email address, merging two that exist into one that doesn’t. Please try davidsgoldbloom@gmail.com. My apologies!
You have taken over a terrific camp. There is a longer version of the Nominingue story; please feel free to email me at david.goldbloom@gmail.ca if you want it for camp archival purposes!
Thank you for a great story!
Well, I laughed out loud at least three times. My funny bone was well tickled. The sign of a good piece of humour writing.
Thanks, Ruth; mission accomplished!
Wonderful! Is there a way to share it for my readers on Reflections at 85?
You are most welcome to share it from my perspective but as to the mechanics and permissions, best to contact Alice Goldbloom, the person in charge of A Considerable Age (and a terrific writer and editor!)
David, your writing is funny and nuanced. As soon as I saw your camp’s name I decided to forward this to my close friend who went there during that era...also named David!
Many thanks, Pat; I know it has resonated with other Nominingue campers and I suspect it may echo more generic camping experiences!
poignant and funny, as always!!
But not as poignant as your beautiful recent essay on your big purse in the Globe and Mail. I urge anyone reading this to dig it out
Loved it! Please keep writing. You so perfectly captured the nuances of that place and time for a young boy.
M. Findlay
Thanks so much, Mimi. I spent much of my childhood in a state of gullible awe. I saw a coffee shop on St. Catherine Street when I was 9 or 10 that had a sign in the window saying “World’s Finest Coffee”. I was stunned, and wondered how they knew and whether they had to sample brews from all over the world. Accepting the unknowable as fact, I then thought, “How lucky am I to be standing in front of a shop that sells the world’s finest coffee?”
I hope you have been able to hold onto some portion of that guilelessness and that it has served you well.
David, this is one delicious piece of writing about camp life. Your memory is archival given its details.
As usual your humor never fails you which I first encountered in the MCH ER many moons ago, describing my gaggle of social work students as lining up the next football tackle. Delighted to know you will be writing more so let us know where and when. Cannot wait!
best Mary Anne Ferguson
Thanks, Mary Anne. And thanks as well for reminding me of my offhand remark in the ER of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, to be included in a forthcoming compendium of inappropriate remarks I’ve made throughout my professional career!