Event Review Travel Writing

Camping on the Rocks

Actually what this refers to is that last week I went with the Junior High youth group of my church to their first annual Junior High camp (called Rock Camp 2004 cause the name of the Junior High youth group is Rock). I had the wondrous joy of driving a van full of young teenagers and preteens all the way to Oklahoma and back.

The camp took place at Secluded Acres, the cabins and retreat center owned by Pastor Tom. I’ve been there once before (for the Men’s Retreat earlier this year).

The topic of the week was “Fear Factor” and was quite an interesting session. After one of the sessions (in which there was a game of Name that Phobia, Chris showed me a list he had printed out from a website called The Indexed Phobia List. From this list, I’ve learned such interesting Phobia Names such as:

  • Heights: Acrophobia, Altophobia, Batophobia, Hypsiphobia or Hyposophobia

  • Home: Ecophobia

  • Injections: Trypanophobia

  • Justice: Dikephobia

  • Knowledge: Gnosiophobia or Epistemophobia

  • Love, falling or being in: Philophobia

  • Air: Anemophobia

  • Water: Hydrophobia

  • Phobias: Phobophobia

  • Opening one’s Eyes: Optophobia

  • Everything: Panophobia, Panphobia, Pamphobia, or Pantophobia

And my personal favorite

  • The Fear of Long Words: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

He used select ones from this list for the game, but would not let the kids look at the whole list because it also contained such inappropriate entries as:

  • Nudity: Gymnophobia

  • Virgins: Parthenophobia

  • Losing one’s Virginity: Primeisodophobia

  • Sexual intercourse: Coitophobia

  • Losing an Erection: Medomalacuphobia

  • Female genitals: Kolpophobia

  • Penis: Phallophobia

  • Rape: Virginitiphobia

None of which these kids should be thinking about.

The general lessons learned were how to tell the difference between a sensible fear (like the fear of Snakes: Ophidiophobia) and unsensible ones (like the aforementioned fears of air, water, and long words). He also taught the kids a bit about The Fear of the Lord. As well as talking to them about how they can conquer their fears.

The week itself was fun, although because it had been raining before the camp, there was too much water in the river to go canoeing (too much water for boats….). On the second day (Wednesday, June 30th) my cell phone was disconnected because of the huge bill I had last month and the fact that I had not paid it yet, so I was completely out of contact with the outside world. Fortunately, the server did not explode during this time so my customers are not upset with me.

I did unfortunately miss a call on Wednesday from the SWDCMA asking me to come in Thursday, and since I never knew about the call, I couldn't call them back and tell them I was out of state and couldn't go on Thursday.

I brought Glorious Appearing with me to read but I did not get any of it read. Instead, I used my free time to continue writing my own book.