camp·ing

We love camping because we love the things we associate with it. Like s’mores. But then we commodify s'mores so that we can have them whenever we want - we make them in our backyards or on our stovetops, thereby eliminating the need for (and allure of) camping. What if we were to say that we’re excited about camping and love it because of the things only camping can bring? Like the smell of the woods in the morning or the long hikes or pitching the tent. Extrapolating: What if we loved our people because of the things they specifically give, rather than the things that practically all friends or partners provide like good companionship and/or physicality? How do we remind ourselves to look at the things that distinguish each person in our circle from the countless people who have come into and out of our lives? How do we say "this is why I chose to invest in you, specifically you"? How do we articulate the reasons that we continually choose to reach out to that one friend versus the 10 others who you left off with a "we should absolutely hang out soon!"? Good, again: I grew up in a household where cereal was eaten as sweet-and-unsweeet. If we wanted to eat Fruity Pebbles or Honey Nut Cheerios, there'd better be some Corn Flakes or regular Cheerios in that bowl too (to dilute the cavity-inducing forces of Captain Crunch, et al). I used to love summer camp, because at camp we could eat bowls of just sweet cereal. I mean it; I was really out there with a full bowl of Lucky Charms, no Raisin Bran in sight (which did in fact count as an unsweet cereal in the Schwaar house, despite the 17g of sugar per serving). What was not as special to me was swimming at the lake or hearing the worship music, because those were things that mimicked a normal part of my at-home life. What makes things special is their rarity; we all know this, yes? Take a second to identify what you just adore about your best friend. What stimulates you about your conversations with that one colleague? What turns you on about your partner in a way no one else can? Many of these things are likely indescribable - maybe you just exist on the same luminescent life channel, flowing like the Yellowstone River in a way that mesmerizes and invites. These feelings bind us in an indescribable way, like a dragon to its rider, a wizard to their wand. But I think there are golden, glowing pieces of our relationships that can also be verbalized, carried from intuition to affirmation - the type of affirmation that strengthens and binds. These articulations have the power to turn coworkers into confidants, parents into friends, and lovers into life partners. Feels ambitious, maybe unnecessary. And maybe amazing.