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by Randall Grayson, Ph.D.
Imagine . . . teleportation. End of natural
death. Aliens visiting Earth. The last war. Fusion
as our main source of energy. Money out of politics.
All of those are fiction, and perhaps they always
will be. Not so long ago, powered flight, electricity,
surgery, cars, and computers were also the realm
of fiction. A commonality amongst inventors,
social or scientific, casual or infamous, is
an active imagination combined with passionate
action. To break that down a bit more, creators
of any ilk entreat Wish, are open to Wonder,
and are readily tickled by Surprise.
Stop . . . think . . . when is the last time
you had the sensation of your blood rushing,
your mind quickening, your eyes brightening,
your shoulders rising, and your breathing sharpening?
It is possible it might have been something “passive,” like
watching an engrossing movie, reading a book,
or watching a sporting event. Now, when is the
last time you felt a passionate Wish, Wondered
at something, and were Surprised at the outcome,
or your thoughts, that ALSO inspired you to ACT?
I'll venture to guess that it was something
you were actively engaged in and that your were
playfully and energetically engaged in the activity.
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise were likely all sparked.
It's a pretty cool feeling, and one that
I bet we Wished happened more often. In Table
1, I have listed common ways I believe children
and adults experience Wish, Wonder, and Surprise.
I've been asking folks and looking around,
and it seems to me that our experience of the
nature, intensity, and frequency of Wish, Wonder,
and Surprise has changed for the worse. I definitely
do NOT think that there is a dwindling supply
of Wishes, that Wonder isn't plentiful,
or that Surprises are doled out in finite quantities
at birth. They are as plentiful to the individual
now as they have always been. But, a thickening
of our skin, the cataract-dulling of our eyes,
and a cacophony of noise has made our senses
less acute. It takes more to “get us going.” True
story: A thirteen-year-old boy sits slumped on
a couch, watching a video about the structure
of the universe and the nature of incredible
celestial objects. The drama is interrupted by
commercials for Cheetos®, Halo 3®, and
the new BMW convertible. The boy switches channels
for a while, briefly landing on Simpsons re-runs,
gets up to grab a Red Bull®soft drink, returns
briefly to the television, and then switches
over to playing the Halo 3® video game. Alone.
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Table 1. Common Ways Children and Adults
Experience
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise Today |
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise at Camp
At camp,
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise have a different intensity,
frequency, and intentionality. The philosophy
is often that children learn best when they discover
truths for themselves. Children need to explore,
create, and challenge. Feeding children answers
and giving them facts deadens their thirst and
hunger, their Wonder and Wish, for what is true
and possible. Play is a natural expression of
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise. Play is a tool for
learning, and not something relegated to a particular
number of minutes during the day. Play is more
pure and inspired when it is free of the digested
images and ideas of movies, television, or YouTube.
Through original play, children learn social
skills, their passions, and their potential.
Wish on the first shooting star. Wish the hand-cranked
ice cream won't be too liquidy. Wish for
a new and delightful friendship in the cabin
mates you have yet to meet. Wish your ceramic
pot turns out better than expected . . . things
you didn't think would happen, but when
they do, you're surprised. Wish to see
an Alligator Lizard or American Dipper. Wish
a given counselor returns again next summer.
Wish Lazy Dog would come every day. Wish for
the camp vote for a given program to turn out
to be what you wanted. Wish to make level five
in archery, so you can fire a flaming arrow at
the Phoenix.
Campers and staff may Wonder at
the stars and universe while in a canoe, on the
lake, at night. In the amphitheater, enjoying some
hot chocolate with marshmallows, stories are
told the old-fashioned way, over a campfire with
a single teller weaving his or her tale. During
an evening program, campers may Wonder at the
riddles and various tasks that challenge individuals
and teams, tapping their physical and mental
abilities. A camper may Wonder at how a staff
person or camper is able to accomplish feats
of physical or creative skill. After placing
dye on a folded piece of fabric, a camper may
Wonder at how the finished piece will turn out,
waiting until the next day to find out. A camper
may look at his/her counselor and Wonder how
they are able to be free and truly themselves
without fear of ridicule or being judged, which
is uncommon in most normal environments. Be Surprised
you made it to the top of the Giant's Junkyard,
made the bull's eye, caught a fish, or
made level four in fire spinning.
Be Surprised
with new friendships you weren't expecting.
Be Surprised at the punch line of a silly campfire
skit. Be Surprised what you'll find in
the mysterious yurt during the all-camp game.
Be Surprised that trees can provide vitamin C,
toothbrushes, and the raw materials to make baskets.
Be Surprised that YOU were able to make fire
with two sticks. Be Surprised that a spontaneous “Bop
Bop” song started while just hanging out.
Be Surprised to get caught in a spontaneous water
fight. Be Surprised that stained glass, sword
fighting, and the Giant's Swing are new
activities this summer. Be Surprised that The
Pirates took the level bracelets, water, chairs,
salad bar, clinic signs, or something else for
ransom. Be Surprised that the tables got turned
upside down, the silverware is gone, or a new
flag has been hung. Be Surprised that a camper
caucus created real change. Be Surprised how
fun a simple life in the woods, in a cabin without
electricity, can be. Be Surprised that you have
more in common with people from different backgrounds
than you first thought.
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise seems to be more
muted and infrequent in children now. Heard of
the Old Order Amish? They live without electricity,
engines, and most modern conveniences. Their
experience is extreme in today's world,
but the extreme makes the point of how their
simplicity enhances their sense of Wish, Wonder,
and Surprise, and their happiness. Children today
have seen so much, that the spark needed to light
a passionate fire is a larger and more slowly
growing one. At camp, we want to re-sensitize,
re-awaken, re-enliven the minds, hearts, and
spirits of children, so that the small sparks
that are everywhere find fertile tender, and
that they may know the joy in Wish, Wonder, and
Surprise on a daily basis. It's everywhere.
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Table 1. Common Ways
Children and Adults Experience
Wish, Wonder, and Surprise Today |
Originally published
in the 2008 July/August issue of Camping Magazine.
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