Tajar Folly/April Fool’s

Those of us who live at Gwynn Valley all year awoke to quite the silly sight at camp this morning. We found kayaks on pathways, a year-round staff member on the lake, and paddles left at the top of the Green spelling out a close approximation of the word: “Tajar”. Our furry friend the Tajar must have gotten up to no small amount of mischief last night! He usually gets rather silly around his birthday, but that isn’t until summer…is he bored? What’s that you say? April Fools’ Day? Yes, I think you’re right! The Tajar is playing an April Fools’ trick on us!

To those of you that might not have had a chance to meet the Tajar yet, allow me to introduce you. The Tajar looks a little something like a tiger and something like a jaguar and something like a badger, but he is different from all those animals. Our Tajar lives in an unassuming old tree here at camp and loves to fill his days with many death-defying life-leaps and no small amount of folly! Being an interesting and mysterious fellow, if you see the Tajar once, you will certainly forget what he looks like. If you see the Tajar twice, you may not remember what you forgot when you saw him. And if you see the Tajar three times, you will certainly forget that you forgot everything you remembered about the Tajar — except for one thing — you will surely become a friend of his. 

No doubt we’re all feeling a bit stir crazy in these trying times. And perhaps nobody knows that antsy, energetic, bursting-at-the-seams kind of stir-craze better than our wily Tajar. I feel sure that he’s finding it as difficult as we are to practice good social distancing! His gift of folly this morning has many hidden lessons for our campers, families, and staff members hunkered down at home the world over. The Tajar is teaching us that it’s okay to be a bit silly and have some fun. That we should all try to be creative each day, maybe that’s by dressing up in a costume and pretending you’re at Tajar ball! That it’s important to help clean up our messes. That it’s acceptable, nay, encouraged that we dance in the moonlight or the daylight in our living rooms!

Paddlelessly Yours,

GV