School Camp

My son Monty is off to his first School Camp tomorrow and there is high excitement.

His main focus (at this stage) is on the meals; hamburgers with no cucumber and Weet Bix and who is sleeping in his Dorm. He seems to have scored here and is quite happy with his allocation of friends. The back of the bus beckons.

Oh to be 10, staying up late shining contraband torches, sneaking out, farting excessively, putting someone’s hand in a glass of water as they sleep to see if they wet the bed and tying everyone’s shoe laces together.

The fear of the confidence course and the jubilation of conquering it combined with the unbridled joy of mudslides.

He will come back changed forever. He will know things about anatomy, ornithology and gastronomy that I could never teach him. He may be injured, even scarred for life from preparing food for his classmates.

He will be dog tired from sleep deprivation and to "cool" to embrace me when I collect him at the end of the week but he will be happy with his achievements, mindful of his failures and blessed with memories that will stay with him a life time.