“A father said to his daughter, ‘You graduated with honors, here is a car I acquired many years ago. It is several years old. But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you.’ The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father and said, ‘They offered me $1,000 because it looks very worn out.’ The father said. ‘Take it to the pawn shop.’ The daughter went to the pawn shop, returned to her father and said, ‘The pawn shop offered $100 because it was a very old car.’ The father asked his daughter to go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter took the car to the club, returned and told her father, ‘Some people offered $100,000 since its an iconic car and sought out after by many.’ The father said to his daughter, ‘The right place values you the right way. If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you. Never stay in a place where no one sees your value.’
After reading this, I soon realized there have been some places in my life where I felt like no one saw my true value, and sometimes I didn’t even know my true value. But here at camp, it’s different. People here take the time to appreciate one another. We all give each other a second chance. We don’t just look on the outside and see the dust or ugly paint job. But rather, people at camp look at your journeys, mileage, background, where you come from, but most importantly what makes you unique. People at camp see your dents, scratches, rust not as deterrents, but rather how they have shaped you to who you are. We all have been through some rough patches, some junkyards, as well as some highs and Sunday drives along the beach. They are what makes each and everyone here unique from one another.