Towering Pines Blog

The Coolest Guy on the Planet

Posted by on June 10, 2015

It turns out that the Coolest Guy on the Planet is, well…

Me.

I’m as surprised as you are.  Who knew?!

Last week, I was no cooler (though perhaps a bit nerdier) than everyone else. But then I arrive at camp and suddenly the campers look at me – and I realize this borders on treasonous – like I’m almost as cool as The Fonz. The Fonz!

I bet you didn

Did you know that Arthur use to teach water skiing at TP?  Of course, we use life preservers in place of leather jackets these days…

It turns out that, in the eyes of our campers, Camp Counselors are the Coolest Guys on the Planet.  Funny thing though, knowing that the campers emulate their counselors makes us want to actually become that great guy they already see in us.

Which makes me the one of the grooviest cats around (we still say that, right?). Well, me and every other camp counselor, but still… it feels good to have someone look up to us. Pretty heady stuff, standing atop that pedestal.

Truth be told, we often feel like frauds at first, a bit undeserving such adoration. And so we toil ceaselessly to be a role model worthy of your boys’ esteem. Even if we never reach that pinnacle, we’re still better men than when our quest began.

How many adults in your son's life put in this much effort to ensure he feels important?

How many adults in your son’s life put in this much effort to let him know that he’s important?

Believe me, it’s no easy gig, being the Coolest Guy on the Planet. It takes years of preparation and only lasts a few weeks. The job conditions are tough, the wages paltry, and the distinction has to be earned (then re-earned) every day of every summer.

And yet…anyone who has ever been a Camp Counselor knows it’s simultaneously one of the toughest and most satisfying roles we’ll ever play.

And well worth every bit of effort we pour into the task.

Green is the new black.

Green is the new black.

You’ll meet us in a few weeks, when you drop your boys off at camp. You can decide then exactly where we fall on the “continuum of cool.”

Of course, we’ll play it all chill and casual. We’re Camp Counselors after all, with a rep to maintain.  But you’re parents, so you’ll see right through our façade of barely-concealed excitement and overzealousness to prove ourselves worthy of your sons’ respect.

Indulge us for a bit, and give us a chance to earn our spurs. We’re confident that, by the end of the summer, your boys will be clamoring to someday join our elite brotherhood of Camp Counselors.

And once your lads have proven their maturity, self-discipline, and passion to serve – just like we had to prove ours to earn this position – we’ll be proud to recognize them as a fellow Coolest Guy on the Planet.