I have something to confess…I’ve never seen Frozen.
Yes, I can sing “Let it Go”.
But I’ve never seen the movie.
So I only have these vague ideas of the characters, their names and the story that they are a part of, cobbled together from the thousands of conversations with kids, and the endless marketing efforts around us. Now Frozen 2 is here.
Last night I was clicking around the internet when a heading caught my eye. “Everyone is Calling Kristoff the Best Disney Prince and Here is Why.” To understand my next actions you need to understand a few things that were going on:
1. My dog was snoozing on top of my feet so I couldn’t go anywhere (he is a 125lb polar bear and I am at his mercy).
2. I try to be a good camp director and keep up with what the kids are into (albeit not enough to actually WATCH Frozen).
3. I am just as susceptible to click bait headlines as anyone else.
So I clicked.
I learned that, in Frozen 2, instead of trying to save the day Kristoff asks Anna how he can help, and sings a power ballad about his feelings of love. Moreover I learned how powerful that representation feels to people, that young boys are given a role model of a character that talks about his feelings.
By the end of the article I was reflecting. That is powerful. That is important, and that is camp.
You see camp is a place that has never shied from emotions. It’s sort of our bread and butter. We talk about them, we experience them, and we remember them. There are tears of joy, of sadness, of goodbye.
I hope more than anything that Camp can be like Kristoff for all the kids that we serve. That it can provide the opportunity to grow, and support those around them. To be with those we love and say “I’m here, what do you need?” That our campers at Kitaki can be unafraid to share their emotions with friends and loved ones, to talk about them, and to learn from them.
And, yes, to sing about them.
Because singing is fun (and we do that too).
Jason
