They were singing,
“bye-bye, miss american pie.”
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, “this’ll be the day that I die.”
One of my fondest memories from the Summer that I was on staff at Camp Wah-Tut-Ca is of my first Staff Night Out. I realize that it’s a bit strange to say that one of my favorite memories of camp is of leaving camp, but bear with me. On Wednesday nights, after the areas had closed for the evening, most of the staff would head out of camp for a bit of real-world recreation. As I recall, this was one of my very first occasions to head off into the world with friends – without supervision, direction, concern for the content of chicken nuggets, or hesitation about turning the stereo way up. I remember the feel of the wind, and the bright lights of the Newbury Comics we had come to plunder. Mostly, though, I remember the exhilarating sensation of freedom that came from being able to go anywhere we pleased. { Note: New Hampshire has never been this exciting since. For anyone, I bet.} And then there’s “American Pie…”
There are a lot of ways to get to know people that take time, involve boundaries and labor, and generally allow for each participant to set their own pace.