NEVER GIVE UP

Many long years ago, back when the earth and I were much younger, I went to a Jewish summer camp. I was all of 10 years old in 1960. I find it amazing that I remember so much from that summer 50 years ago. I can still clearly see the camp itself, learning to water ski, my bunk, and several of the other girls in it. My clearest, and best memory is of the counselor I had who was from Israel. I also clearly remember how devastated I was when camp was over that I'd probably never see her again. I had a snap shot of us on the archery range that I kept on my desk at home for years. I never forgot her name, and when I found myself in Israel, I started asking every single person I ran into with the same last name if there was a person in their family with that first name who had been a counselor at a camp in Maine. The answer was always "No". Not being one to give up, I searched her name at Facebook, and there she was! One look at her picture told me that, yes, after 50 years, I had indeed found her! So, of course I sent her an e mail, and surprise, surprise, she actually has a vague memory of having had a camper named Franne in her bunk! Wow.

Of course she's not in Israel these days, but lives in New York. From her mail back to me, we'll start playing catch up at the end of the month. I guess she's on vacation away from home now. This is one of the most amazingly wonderful things that happened in ever so long. I actually found her after 50 years! How cool is that? Oh, how I wish I still had that picture. I may not have the snap shot itself, but I do still have it clearly fixed in my memory. Brain damage? What brain damage? After finding her, the whole directionally challenged thing suddenly is no big deal. So, I used to be a human GPS, and now get lost in my own neighborhood. So what? I did find my childhood idol after 50 years. That pretty much makes up for it all.