I have been talking with 1st Half Timberlake parents who have recently welcomed their boys home and was reminded of MY first summer at TL (1982) and the transition home after such an incredible adventure. Like many I was touched very deeply by the experience and left carrying so much of Timberlake in my heart. But the memories, poorly taken photos (on my Kodak 110 camera) and occasional letters from new friends weren’t enough and within a few days of arriving home, I set out to truly bring TL home. Locating some old lumber I began preparations to add rough-cut”siding” to my bedroom wall and more than once chose to visit the bushes in the backyard instead of the advanced technology of the bathroom toilet. At night I preferred to use a flashlight to navigate the basement floor where my sisters and I had our bedrooms and I don’t think that I wore shoes until the day school started and even then kicked them off under the desk during class. Luckily I already slept in a bunk bed and so my stuffed animals became my cabin mates and would occasionally keep my up at night “telling stories” about their day and we might have even pulled off a cabin switch or two. I attempted to build ropes swings with just about any length of rope I could find and would swing bravely over any body of water, pile of rocks or furniture made available to me.
This approach to TL living didn’t last long, created minor injuries or resulted in shocked looks and stiff consequences from my parents, but it was clear to them as well that I had changed and that something in me had woken up and wasn’t about to be silenced anytime soon. So if you hear any unexpected construction from somewhere in your house, spot your children swinging on an extension cord from the garage roof, are getting surprising requests for more salad or hear your boys whistling ‘Simple Gifts’ while playing their Xbox, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
This week has been all about the sunshine…beautiful, beautiful, beautiful…