Funny Camp Stories
I've often been told by my non-camp friends that most of my camp stories (the ones which I laugh at hysterically every time I tell them as if I'm just hearing it or watching an episode of
Seinfeld
aren't exactly as funny as I make them out to be because sometimes it's just a you-had-to-be-there thing. But here they are anyway. Maybe a couple will be at least a little amusing to others who are not Camp Michigamme regulars.
Jacques the Balloon
This is one of my favorite camp stories. When I was a counselor for the first time I had some pretty, uh,
interesting
co-counselors. We all did some crazy things that week. But the weirdest was definately the adoption of Jacques the Balloon as the Elementary III mascot. Jacques was a red balloon that Jessica blew up and drew a face on in the wigwam (arts & crafts cabin). She named him, and some of us, counselors and campers alike, grew to adore him.
One of us, however, didn't fall in love with Jacques the Balloon at first sight. Bill popped poor Jacques. After that we called him the balloon killer. Jess burried Jacques in the garbage, and life went on.
Jessica drew a face on another balloon the next day which was dubbed Jacquette Widow of Jacques. By this time word had spread throughout camp about the casulty. My campers would go up to Bill and ask him why he popped poor Jacques, even though they knew it had been all in fun. Well, Jacquette Widow of Jacques met her fate when she went up against Bill.
The last night of camp, Jessica and Jeremy went to the wigwam and found a white balloon which they made yet another Jacques balloon out of. This one was the Ghost of Jacques. On the front was the spooky looking face, and on the back was dialogue. I don't remember exactly what it said, something like 'I am the Ghost of Jacques. You cannot hide. You cannot escape, balloon killler. I am here to haunt you.'
The Ghost of Jacques was strategically taped by Jeremy on Bill's bunk while he was hanging out at Grace Hall (our dining hall which was bashed down recently and will soon be replaced by an imposter). The next day at breakfast Bill came over to me, held up a popped white balloon, and said, "Recognize anyone?" It was the Ghost of Jacques.
This story is dedicated to Kelly who was one of Jacques's biggest fans and supporters throughout his entire ordeal and who also has been asking me a question I've been wondering myself: Where's Fire Marshall Bill?
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