UK’s Phil Peel on ASCCAFriends.org :: “What is life all about?”
Posted by Robert on 03 Apr 2008 at 4:22 am | Tagged as: Camp ASCCA Family, Counselors | Printer/Text Reader Friendly Version: Print This Post
From ASCCAFriends.org: Phil Peel posted this at ASCCAFriends and I thought it was something you would like to see, too. Phil’s views on what ASCCA has meant to him over the years. Phil agreed to let us share it here. What is life all about? - ASCCA Friends
By Phil Peel, UK - Past ASCCA Counselor
Over the past 18 months I have found myself asking the same question, what is life all about? I lost my Mum to lung cancer in February 2007 and its made me assess my life and assess what really makes me happy.
…One thing that really does make me happy is Camp ASCCA…
One thing that really does make me happy is Camp Ascca. I have only worked 2 summers at ASCCA, back in 2001 when I was a youthful 24 year old and last summer, 2007 when, I must admit, I did feel a bit old at times. But I just had to look at Matt Rickman, as Matt’s older and to be fair, it shows…!
Seriously though, Camp ASCCA is a truly wonderful place with people who again are just wonderful. It’s a place I think of when I am feeling down and it always makes me smile. I think of all the people I have met through Camp Ascca and again, thinking about everyone just makes me smile.
For the people who know me then ya’ll can skip a few lines as i’m just going to explain who I am.
I have Cerebral Palsy and I am a wheelchair user. As a child I was in mainstream education and although I made lots of friends in school, it was hard to fit in at times as I was seen as ‘different’. In my early teens I attended a youth group called PHAB. PHAB was an acrnym for Physically Handicapped Able Bodied. In England the term handicap is not politically correct and we now use the PH from PHysically.
During my time as a member of PHAB I met lots of other young people both with and without disabilities. I made some really wonderful and close friends through PHAB and my closet friends I have now, are all because of PHAB.
It’s a similar story with Camp ASCCA. When I was 19 one of my friends worked in the USA as a counselor and he absolutely loved it. It took me 5 long years to apply and when I was 24 I eventually took the plunge and signed up to a programme in England called Camp America. Within 3 days of signing up I had been offered a summer job at Camp ASCCA. I used to work for QVC (Yes, the shopping channel!) I was taking orders via the phone!
Well one night just 3 days after my Camp America interview, I got home around 2:30am, after working a 6 hour shift and my Dad told me a certain Tom Collier had called and wanted me to call him back, to which I done immediately. Tom offered me the chance to work at ASCCA and I jumped at it. I was that excited I forgot to ask Tom where I would be working! It wasn’t until a few weeks before I was due to depart from London that I actually got round to asking Tom where abouts Camp ASCCA was. I admit that Alabama was not on my list of desired destinations. But I can assure you I would not change anything. Camp America suggested to me during my interview that I should apply to a special needs camp, purely on the basis that it will be accessible.
Sometimes I imagine what my life would have been like if I had not had Cerebral Palsy. My main group of friends in Liverpool are former school friends of other PHAB members, and I met these guys through my friends at PHAB. Camp America would not have suggested that I apply to a special needs camp as there would not have been any issues regarding access.
I am truly thankful for who I am. I feel like I am lucky. I have wonderful friends in my hometown Liverpool, I have wonderful friends all over the world. I am not going to start naming names because there would be too many to mention. But when I am feeling sad and lonely, I think of my friends. I think about Camp ASCCA and all the wonderful people. Being home in England makes me realise how much the people at ASCCA mean to me. I miss everyone, everyday.
It may have taken a lot of words to finally get to the end but I just want to say that I truly believe we are all meant to be who we are. I was meant to be me to meet the people I have met. To make the friends I have made. I don’t really wonder what life is about anymore. I just cherish all the good things in my life. My most treasured and cherished memories will always be of Camp ASCCA.
Camp ASCCA has a new site! ASCCA Friends. It is our own personal social media network. Also, did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.
