Sneaking Out and Summer Camp
I was hanging with my good friend Jeff, late at night at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. As counselors it was our job to sit in the middle of camp and be on watch from 10pm to midnight, making sure nothing was out of sorts. Nothing was ever out of sorts and it was the most boring job ever (I usually slept). All of a sudden out of the corners of our eyes we saw action! Two young perps were running military style sprinting from tree to tree diving behind their cover and looking out to make sure the coast was clear to hit the next tree. They clearly had done their homework, as the far trees were the best tactical route from the girls’ cabins to the boys’. Jeff and I, in Jew camp surveillance mode, spotted our prey at the same second. It was our moment. Jeff looked at me and said are you ready to go to work? I said, let's go get those suckers!!
We jumped up and Usain Bolted towards the kids. The second they saw us they sprinted in different directions. I chased one down the hill, and at the bottom when I knew I had him, I Lawrence Taylored him and we both went rolling down the hill. After my amazing vaulted tackle (you will have to trust me, it was awesome), he looked up at me scared out of his mind.
I said, David? He couldn’t talk, he couldn't breathe and looked like he might have made in his pants. David was my camper and one of my favorites. There are certain rules at camp (none I followed) but one big one was that there is no leaving the cabin and definitely not venturing to the girls’ cabins (I disagreed with this rule). I said, David, are you ok? He couldn’t speak. Were you at the girls’ cabins? He said yes. Who were you with (even though I knew he was with Jason)? Jason. Jason and David were best friends and their 13-year-old girlfriends were besties. I could have asked him any question and he would have come clean. David would not have been a good spy.
Jeff and Jason walked over and I couldn't stop laughing because Jason, the “cool kid” in my bunk, looked anything but cool — he was totally petrified, had grass and dirt on his face (Jeff clearly Lawrence Taylored him too) and was shaking. I think the boys thought they were going to get in trouble, but not on my watch. I put my arms around them and said, boys, you have done what many fellow 13-year-old boys have done in the past! I love you and you be lucky I was on Jew camp surveillance. (One unwritten law about Jewish camp is that one of its main goals was Jewish boys and girls were supposed to meet, hook up, and down the road hopefully marry.
When they realized that I wasn’t mad (totally proud of them) and that there wasn't going to be punishment (gave them extra pudding at lunch) they told me everything. There were definitely boobs involved and Jason, when telling the whole story, had a big smile on his face! These were my boys and I supported this transgression.
Looking back, there’s actually a Chinese medicine lesson hidden in that story.
Summer is the season of Yang. Yang is warmth, activity, movement, excitement, and connection. It’s the energy that pushes us out into the world. It’s why we travel more, stay out later, exercise more, spend more time with friends, and most importantly, sneak over to the girls’ cabins.
David and Jason were running on pure summer Yang energy that night.
The problem is that too much Yang can eventually catch up with us. By mid-summer, many people are sleeping less, traveling more, eating differently, exercising harder, and juggling packed schedules. What starts as excitement can turn into stress, fatigue, insomnia, digestive issues, aches and pains, or feeling completely depleted by August.
In Chinese medicine, summer is associated with the Heart, which governs not only circulation but also our spirit, joy, and emotional balance. When the Heart becomes overstimulated, we can feel restless, anxious, exhausted, or simply out of sync.
That’s where acupuncture comes in.
Summer is actually one of my favorite times of year to treat patients. Acupuncture helps keep the body balanced while you’re busy enjoying life. Whether you’re dealing with stress, trouble sleeping, travel fatigue, sports injuries, or just feeling run down, treatment can help you stay energized without burning out.
Summer is meant to be enjoyed. The goal isn’t to slow down—it’s to stay balanced enough to enjoy every minute of it. And unlike David and Jason, hopefully you can do it without getting tackled in the middle of the night.