Many of you reading this blog know this story… some of you were there. But last night after our last “unofficial” hang out time with our college students, they brought items to make banana boats after I had shared the story with them they thought it would be funny. First if you do not know what a banana boat is, it is a delightful campfire treat that rivals the smore. You take a banana slice the rind open and then mush the banana up inside the rind. The you add mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips! Wrap it in foil and place it in the fire. It melts together then you eat the yummy goodness out of the rind and smile!
Well I was introduced to this treat my first summer as a camp counselor at a Christian sports camp in Texas called Camp Balcones Springs. During the summer banana boats were made each camp out night so total of 4 each summer. Since I had the oldest girls during the middle of the summer my girls did not participate in camp out because of their trips and thus this cut my banana boat intake down to 2 a summer! I know! Sadly as well I also injured my knee pretty bad and had a large brace on my leg and gimped around for the last session of camp. My best friend Sara would drive me around in a truck to help me get around camp property.
The last camp out of the summer my girls were placed in the most RANDOM spot ever… it totally was a make-shift camping site as the grass literally came up to our knees and it was not cleared at all. At one point my co-counselor Kristen was walking by the camp fire when all of the sudden she fell… of the side of the cliff people! The edge was disgused by al the grass and she did not realize she had reached it! Luckily there was a ledge about 6 feet down that caught her, had it not she would have gone down 30! But I digress so a great Texas thunder storm starts to roll in. There begins to be a lot of ruckus around the camp sites and it is getting dark. Soon from the shadows Sara appears telling me she is driving me back to the cabin as the storm is coming in and we have to go. She looked very frustrated I guess from things that transpired before she reached me and began to pick up my camping gear. I had just taken my beloved banana boat off the fire when she arrived so I secured it in my left hand putting my right arm around her for balance as we tried to walk back her holding me and my stuff through the dark woods. I hit a tree stump in the ground and fall pretty hard. But as I go down I ensure my left hand stays in the air securing the safety of my banana boat. Sara then picks up my camping gear and is trying to help me up (keep in mind I can not use one leg to get myself up) and I am refusing to give her my left hand obviously because it is holding the banana boat. After many frustrating minutes for Sara to help me up and not drop any of my camping gear Sara grabs my banana boat out of my left hand and CHUNKS it into the lake! WHAT! Shocked and appalled at my “so-called Best friend's” actions I lay on the ground with a stunned look on my face. She in turns tells me “Let’s Go!” in her best mother voice and she picks me up and practically has to drag me back to the truck. Needless to say and by the fact I am posting this… this little incident in 1999 has been a light hindrance in our friendship. We are seeing a counselor and after my students so graciously retrieved the items needed for me to make a banana boat last night I am getting closer to forgiving her.
Well I was introduced to this treat my first summer as a camp counselor at a Christian sports camp in Texas called Camp Balcones Springs. During the summer banana boats were made each camp out night so total of 4 each summer. Since I had the oldest girls during the middle of the summer my girls did not participate in camp out because of their trips and thus this cut my banana boat intake down to 2 a summer! I know! Sadly as well I also injured my knee pretty bad and had a large brace on my leg and gimped around for the last session of camp. My best friend Sara would drive me around in a truck to help me get around camp property.
The last camp out of the summer my girls were placed in the most RANDOM spot ever… it totally was a make-shift camping site as the grass literally came up to our knees and it was not cleared at all. At one point my co-counselor Kristen was walking by the camp fire when all of the sudden she fell… of the side of the cliff people! The edge was disgused by al the grass and she did not realize she had reached it! Luckily there was a ledge about 6 feet down that caught her, had it not she would have gone down 30! But I digress so a great Texas thunder storm starts to roll in. There begins to be a lot of ruckus around the camp sites and it is getting dark. Soon from the shadows Sara appears telling me she is driving me back to the cabin as the storm is coming in and we have to go. She looked very frustrated I guess from things that transpired before she reached me and began to pick up my camping gear. I had just taken my beloved banana boat off the fire when she arrived so I secured it in my left hand putting my right arm around her for balance as we tried to walk back her holding me and my stuff through the dark woods. I hit a tree stump in the ground and fall pretty hard. But as I go down I ensure my left hand stays in the air securing the safety of my banana boat. Sara then picks up my camping gear and is trying to help me up (keep in mind I can not use one leg to get myself up) and I am refusing to give her my left hand obviously because it is holding the banana boat. After many frustrating minutes for Sara to help me up and not drop any of my camping gear Sara grabs my banana boat out of my left hand and CHUNKS it into the lake! WHAT! Shocked and appalled at my “so-called Best friend's” actions I lay on the ground with a stunned look on my face. She in turns tells me “Let’s Go!” in her best mother voice and she picks me up and practically has to drag me back to the truck. Needless to say and by the fact I am posting this… this little incident in 1999 has been a light hindrance in our friendship. We are seeing a counselor and after my students so graciously retrieved the items needed for me to make a banana boat last night I am getting closer to forgiving her.
Jodi and I re-enacting the Banana Boat Incident at Retreat
8 comments:
So what happened to the girl who fell over the cliff?
Totally read your blog too!
She was fine... landed on her feet on the ledge below, we pulle dher up and continued the night.
That was a very tragic story. I've never heard of a banana boat but I can assure you that I will be having one next time I go camping. Which may be like, never. But it's my intention at least. I need to ask Bonny about all this madness.
aaah the banana boat.... i had to laugh out loud on that one.
hey, i'm a fellow texan and a m. in india. i read amj's story about you and the ring check. i loved it, totally hilarious and i do it all the time too. anyway, just wanted to say hello and it sounds like what you are doing is really cool!
Umm where were the banana boats when I was at camp? All I remember was chili and delightful little girls deciding that gummi bears and reese's peanut butter cups would make it taste much better! I think I might have to make a banana boat this weekend... in the microwave :)
Very, funny, lil sis...made me smile a lot!
Emily Malone
Hey girl...I'll be coming to see Karyn the last week in May...maybe we can all hang out! hope you're doing well!
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