New England Story
THE LOVE AFFAIR
by Sandi Kimmel
There is great power in a New England sunrise, for it awakened the whole of me.
I can say without doubt or reservation, that my summers in New Hampshire changed the trajectory of my life. Growing up in the shadow of my older brother posed challenges at every turn. Teachers expected more from me, my friends developed crushes on him and the limelight was not something I enjoyed during the school year. I was a self-conscious wallflower and an underachiever, struggling to stay afloat.
Ah, but come late June, I boarded a Peter Pan bus heading north to Contoocook, where my true self was waiting.
Nine summers of cool morning air, beckoning woods, refreshing lake and the comfort of friends gave me the confidence to step forward into my fullness. I starred in every musical, played every sport, learned to play guitar and write songs, and took leadership roles with younger campers. I had my first kiss, on a walk to the bridge, after a Saturday night social in the Rec Hall and felt the first rush of excitement I couldn't identify. And I learned about spirit – team spirit, when we lost the varsity volleyball tournament; camp spirit, as we bonded in community with shared meaningful experiences; and the Great Spirit that enveloped me around the campfire singing harmony into the night.
The shortest season of the year produced the longest lasting love affair. For it was there in the woods that I forged the most significant relationship of my life – my love of nature. The seeds were sown and nurtured as I tromped through the damp woods, studying shy salamanders safely hiding under rocks, writing letters home on already-peeled white birch bark, swimming in clear, cold lakes, hiking endless miles of trails and mountains, watching the moonrise through wispy clouds. My mind's palette expanded with endless combinations of blues and greens, from startling skies and canopies of trees. Each August, on my birthday, I would wake myself up in the middle of the night, spread a blanket on the hillside, and enjoy my own private showing of Perseid's meteor shower, convinced that the spectacle was in celebration of me.
All of the smells of the earth that filled my awareness awakened something within. To this day, the feel of soft pine needles underfoot, the scent of them mixed with pristine air, takes me back to the moment of my understanding that I am a part of it all as it is a part of me.
It is still. And I am grateful.
© 2007 S. Kimmel
by Sandi Kimmel
There is great power in a New England sunrise, for it awakened the whole of me.
I can say without doubt or reservation, that my summers in New Hampshire changed the trajectory of my life. Growing up in the shadow of my older brother posed challenges at every turn. Teachers expected more from me, my friends developed crushes on him and the limelight was not something I enjoyed during the school year. I was a self-conscious wallflower and an underachiever, struggling to stay afloat.
Ah, but come late June, I boarded a Peter Pan bus heading north to Contoocook, where my true self was waiting.
Nine summers of cool morning air, beckoning woods, refreshing lake and the comfort of friends gave me the confidence to step forward into my fullness. I starred in every musical, played every sport, learned to play guitar and write songs, and took leadership roles with younger campers. I had my first kiss, on a walk to the bridge, after a Saturday night social in the Rec Hall and felt the first rush of excitement I couldn't identify. And I learned about spirit – team spirit, when we lost the varsity volleyball tournament; camp spirit, as we bonded in community with shared meaningful experiences; and the Great Spirit that enveloped me around the campfire singing harmony into the night.
The shortest season of the year produced the longest lasting love affair. For it was there in the woods that I forged the most significant relationship of my life – my love of nature. The seeds were sown and nurtured as I tromped through the damp woods, studying shy salamanders safely hiding under rocks, writing letters home on already-peeled white birch bark, swimming in clear, cold lakes, hiking endless miles of trails and mountains, watching the moonrise through wispy clouds. My mind's palette expanded with endless combinations of blues and greens, from startling skies and canopies of trees. Each August, on my birthday, I would wake myself up in the middle of the night, spread a blanket on the hillside, and enjoy my own private showing of Perseid's meteor shower, convinced that the spectacle was in celebration of me.
All of the smells of the earth that filled my awareness awakened something within. To this day, the feel of soft pine needles underfoot, the scent of them mixed with pristine air, takes me back to the moment of my understanding that I am a part of it all as it is a part of me.
It is still. And I am grateful.
© 2007 S. Kimmel
