It’s Friday and I’m on a plane heading to see families in the NYC area. But, I’m still thinking about Campfire. Today, I’m bringing a little outside help – Joshua Medcalf.

Josh is a wonderful writer. He genuinely wants his reader to succeed and gives so many examples, quotes and stories to help get there. In his recent book, Chop Wood Carry Water, his student, John, receives many important lessons from his samurai sensi, Akira. All of them are important and useful.

Today, I want to focus on just one: being faithful to the little things. Akira quotes two of my
heroes to highlight this point.

Mother Theresa, one of the most selfless caregivers our world has known, told followers, “Be faithful in the small things for it is in them that your strength lies.” Ben Hogan, winner of nine golf major championships in the 1950s who set the standard for the modern golf swing said, “Everyone thinks greatness is sexy, it’s not. It’s dirty hard work.”

Both choose very difficult paths and had terribly hardships to overcome. But, because of their faithful attention to the small things, they became known throughout the world for their service and triumph.

Small Things at Camp

No, I’m not talking about the JJ’s or even Carter Stassen. (Though, why wouldn’t we talk about them?! The Junior Juniors are fantastic and three-year-old Carter is a rock star.)

When I think of small things at camp, I think about each interaction our campers have with their bunk counselors. The opportunity we have to serve every time the phone rings. The care needed to be shown to a tired staff member who just needs to be heard.

Each of these small interactions is hugely important as they give us a chance to show we care.

When I came to Weequahic, however, I took a different approach. Rather than the little details, I focused on the big items – a new program, updating the bunks, etc.

A bunch of bananas showed me how wrong I was in this approach. Stick with me here….

Bananas

It’s the Summer 2010 and our growing camp is having a lot of fun. Our staff members are great, our kitchen is running smoothly, and everyone seems happy. But, I was missing something; I was not paying attention to the small things.

After playing some taps with the older boys, I headed to the office for a few pre-dinner phone calls. Waiting by my desk was Cammie, now our incredibly productive, funny and loyal office manager but then a “first summer” secretary.

With trepidation in her eyes and a little waver in her voice, Cam handed me a petition – my first (and only) in camping. Signed by 75 staff members, all were asking, nay – demanding – we put bananas back on the salad bar.

“What do you mean we don’t have banana’s on the salad bar?” I asked.

“We haven’t had them for weeks and people really miss them. And, people are a little too afraid to ask so I thought we could do this to show how much we want them back.”

At first, I laughed thinking this was a fun joke. Only at camp, right?!?

Nope, she was serious. The staff was serious. And, they didn’t feel I was approachable enough to talk about such a small thing. Jeez….

I needed to make some changes and fast. First, I picked up the phone, asked our head chef to start ordering bananas for everyone that day. Secondly, several of us got together to create a weekly survey for the kids and staff which includes lots of things at camp, including food.

More importantly, I had to change. If our staff did not feel they could approach me about such a little thing as bananas, then how could they approach me with the bigger issues? I started smiling more, asking more questions and listening a lot.

Learning to Be Faithful to Small Things

A big part about growing up is developing the habits of a healthy, productive life. And, yes, you guessed it… starting to become faithful to the small things.

Clearing the dishes after dinner. Making your bed. Being kind to someone, even if you don’t ‘have’ to be…. These are all small things we practice at camp that, believe it or not, add up to big things later on. (*The opposite is also true – the less honest you are with the small things, the less faithful you’ll be with the big responsibilities. Just sayin’….)

If you want to succeed in the long term, start taking care of all the small stuff now. Do it often enough, you won’t even have to think about it. When it becomes a virtuous habit, things will start to get really interesting – I promise!

Have a great week,
Cole