Christmas in the Summer

The theme this summer at camp was “Christmas: A New Season for the Reason”. And, yes, camp was decked out in Christmas lights, decorated trees and Christmas music blared on opening days. Some of the kids thought it silly. Most thought it was fun.

Earlier on during the summer, Megan, the head of the female junior staff, asked me this question: “Melissa, if you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be?”

I didn’t hesitate. “A rolltop desk.”

Megan is very expressive, perhaps because she is a theatre major. You could see the confused look of wonder on her face before she even said, “What is that?”

Somehow, having to explain a rolltop desk never does it justice. More or less, Megan thought I was nuts.

Summer went on. The day before the final day, Pete asked me to come to the last part of staff meeting on the last day. I would never be a good poker player because apparently my facial expressions say everything.

“I promise,” he said. “It’s not bad.”

I had to wonder. After all, I had missed the pie in the face that one closing day…and I knew there were several summer staff members who were aiming at me. But, when my name was called over the walkie later the next day, I made my way to the lounge full of summer staff who were meeting for the last time.

Pete explained to the staff how much work it takes to get a summer to run – work they never see done. And, yes, I probably did put in extra hours this summer getting it all done. (I can remember a few frustrating, late hours on Saturdays…) But I enjoyed it, so I was a little surprised when Pete told me the summer staff had taken up a love offering and bought me a gift. He passed a small, Christmas wrapped package my way.

“Do you remember, Melissa, when I asked you if you could have anything for Christmas, what would it be?” Megan piped up.

“Oh!” I now realized what Megan had been up to. Then I laughed as I accepted the gift that couldn’t have weighed a pound and was no more than a foot long and two inches in height. “This doesn’t at all look like a rolltop desk, Megan.”

She just laughed.

So, I opened my gift. And found something I never thought I’d receive, although I did want one and Megan and I had had a couple of conversations about it as she bought one for her mother for her birthday: a Kindle.

So, I am now the owner of a paperwhite Kindle…something I am thoroughly enjoying. I am learning how it works, and how to get books from the library on it, and have spent quite a bit of time finding out what books I can purchase for it. So far, I love it. Except for one small thing…

I confess I am a perfectionist in some ways. Perhaps even a little OCD. One thing I really hate is when people fold down a corner of a page to mark their place in a book.

Don’t they know what they’re doing?!?!?!

Book pages should not be creased!!!!!

Well, when you mark your place in a Kindle book, it looks like you’re folding down the corner of the page. I know, I know. It’s digital. It’s not harming anything. But it really bothers me. I need to figure out if there isn’t a way to change that…for the other night I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it. I memorized what page I was on.

Maybe what I need to do is write a letter to Amazon…and then get some therapy.