Kid for a Day
Kid for a Day
“Be a kid again” is the YMCA’s slogan for the annual ‘seniors’ day event at Camp Cullen, about two hours northeast of Houston. And, it is an event. Every October, the camp becomes a playground for the 55+ community across all the Y’s in the Houston area.
The Y members aren’t the only ones who get to be kids for the day. One of the executive directors drove us across the camp to the various activities in an off-road ‘gator’ vehicle, while other directors, managers, and various other Y employees ran this three-day show like the professionals they are and it was clear they were having as much fun as we were. Maybe more, I mean driving that gator through the woods has got to be better than going over reports, schedules, and spreadsheets. The whole Y management team gave their all to make the day happen, and it showed. We were transported, fed, and entertained with every detail meticulously planned and executed.
It was hot and muggy (October in southeast Texas is unpredictable) but we the storms that threatened the forecast never materialized. I left my water bottle on the bus and forgot to bring a hand-fan. Those two things would have made the afternoon a bit more bearable, since by that time, I’d done most of the activities I wanted to try and had enough of navigating the crowds. I’ll plan a little better for next year’s trip.
That said, I wanted to write about something I took away from the day. After breakfast, while waiting for things to get started, we wandered down to the lake. I tracked bird calls on the Merlin app, watched an egret fishing for its own breakfast, and let the lapping sounds reset my inner balance. Every day should start like this.
Then it was time to go ziplining, which was at the top of my list. The cross-country trek in one of the off road vehicles was delightful and unexpected fun and our group was the first to arrive at the platform.
There was a weight limit. Now, I’ve been on a weight loss journey for the past couple of years and I’m proud of my progress. The goal has been health-based, not primarily about the number on the scale. The number mattered before my hip replacement surgery, so I hit that goal, but have hovered just below it ever since. I’m working out regularly and I’m a size smaller, but the number on the scale has stayed stubbornly constant.
The number apparently also matters when one plans to go zip lining. I was 1.2 pounds above the weight limit. Telling myself it’s a kid’s camp, so of course the equipment limits would reflect that, I descended the platform and waited to watch our friend sail down the line over our heads. It looked like great fun and he confirmed as much. I’ll do it next year.
I did well enough at archery and felt like Katniss Everdeen doing it, but not so much at ax throwing. Then it was time for the #2 item on my list: a line dancing class. That experience was worth the trip. I had an absolute blast and found out about the weekly dance class on Mondays at my Y, which is also the practice class for another annual event called Silver Stars. It’s basically a senior’s dance competition and recital. I’ve missed dancing and mentally committed there and then.
After the dance class it was time for lunch, which was surprisingly well organized considering the staff were feeding at least 200+ hungry adults who’d been playing like children all morning. Burgers, hot dogs, and salad. Not fine dining but it sure hit the spot.
After lunch it was time to load up in the various people movers (the off-road vehicles, a mini-bus, and a hayride trailer, minus the hay and erroneously billed as a carriage) for the planned activities we might have missed in the morning or wanted to do again. I decided, after the zipline failure, that I might like to give horseback riding a try. I figured I was either going to be disappointed just riding around the ring like a kid’s pony ride, or I’d decide I wanted to become a 65 year old equestrian. The mini bus to the horse arena held 12 people. It was full, and there were at least as many waiting for the next trip. I don’t know the number of horses that were available to ride, but the math wasn’t looking good so that mission was scrapped.
Arts and crafts were exactly what you’d expect at a kid’s camp. Construction paper, pipe cleaners, and glitter creations weren’t my thing, then or now, so the next stop was the gift shop for a cold drink and whatever else might be there. It was around 2pm at this point, and hot. We got a couple of cokes and a coffee mug, which turned out to be a brilliant move since the ice machines were open and transformed the lightly chilled coke into an ice-cold one. The gift shop staff offered popsicles and turning them down wasn’t such a brilliant choice. Did I mention it was hot?
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging in the rocking chairs overlooking the lake and chatting with a friend, followed by a couple of games of mahjong in the dining hall. Mahjong is always an excellent choice, in my opinion. There were also afternoon s’mores, but I skipped those, as well as the chicken wrap and cookies in the sack dinner they gave us for the ride home. We were well fed throughout the day, but I’ve got a zipline weight limit to reach.
I’m still disappointed about not being able to zipline as I was really looking forward to that, but as I said earlier, I wanted to share my takeaway: I may not have gotten to fly, but thanks to the line dance class, I was able to soar.
I took the Monday dance class this week. I’m rusty and felt clumsy and uncoordinated through most it, but I did it, and I didn’t die trying. I’m going back next week. To Zumba as well. I’ve got big plans, let’s see how far I can go.
Now, for the housekeeping segment of our time together:
I host live tarot readings and ramble sessions every Sunday at 10am CDT as part of the Trusted Tarot group on Facebook. You can join in (or just watch) here: Trusted Tarot
I am the Tableau Module Trainer for TABI’s Intermediate Tarot course that will be starting again in October. I also host the North American Time monthly zoom meetup. If you’re interested in either the course, or joining TABI, please reach out and I’ll point you in the right direction.
I’m presenting Marseille Tableau – By the Numbers at the TABI Midwinter Conference on January 30th and 31st, and The Dao of Witchcraft at WitchCon in February 2027 https://www.witchcon.com/workshop.php?presenter=mary-du-plessis
More events and offerings to follow but you can always reach me via email at themysticsparlour@gmail.com, follow me on Instagram as @the.mystics.parlour, or send me a friend request on Facebook.
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