Correspondence from Camp....
Hmmm... well, it seems we can't outrun ourselves. I'm going to give it a shot later this evening, but given my current location, and the content of this post, it seems that I am stuck with me.
It's been an interesting turn of events that has led me to this post tonight. And, like all epic stories, this tale began... on Facebook.
Several weeks ago, shortly after relocating to the grounds of Dauphin Bible Camp, I received a message from a guy who was, as far as I can tell, a camp counsellor at DBC during my first summer there, a full 14 years ago. Let's see, divide my life by 3, and it was at the end of the first chunk, almost exactly. (Useless fact. But hey, sorta puts life into perspective, don't it?)
This guy wanted to know if I was THE Kelly Cochrane, the infamous poet who had apparently charmed him with her 7-year-old rhyming ways back in the day. Apparently some kid had submitted some pretty wacky poems to the camp newspaper in 1993. I said... "hmmm, from that description, I can't tell you, but it sure sounds like me!" (No, I'm not being vain, but I WAS one of those nerdy kids who took Journalism religiously at camp and would likely have done something like that). But, just to confirm (a.k.a. amuse myself), I asked the guy to send me these poems to refresh my memory.
Now, I re-read the poems and they did start to come back to me, but just to be clear here, I'm still not entirely certain if I wrote these poems or just submitted them to the paper, neglecting to name an author other than myself. So whether you are currently reliving with me "My First Publication" or "My First Plagiarism" is still unclear... but hey, either way, to do so at 7 is pretty prestigious!
The Monster
There used to be a monster,
His name was Dippy Doo,
He wasn't very friendly,
For his age was 62,
There were a lot of people,
in my crowded house,
but when he wasn't around,
it was as quiet as a mouse.
The Poem
I awoke one night,
when my brother had a fight.
I awoke one night,
when my sister had a blister.
I awoke one night,
when my dog had caught a frog.
I awoke one night,
when my cat killed a rat.
I awoke one night,
when Ted turned red.
I awoke one night,
when Scott got caught.
I awoke one night,
don't you see
something really scared me.
by Kelly Cochrane
Age 7 (going on 8)
As I told the counsellor in our e-mail exchange, the thing I remember most vividly is putting "7 going on 8" in the paper... now, I wasn't one of those kids who was always trying to act or sound older, but my concerns here were quite legitimate (I thought)... the youngest age you could come to camp back then was 8 (now we have Young Camper's week), but since I was always a year younger than everyone else in my grade, when everyone else was 8, I was still 7. So my mom called the camp and asked if I could come at 7 (they'd let Becca do the same 2 years earlier)... they let me come, but I was still quite concerned that everyone would find out I was 7 and immediately band together in unity, crying "You don't belong here- you're SEVEN!!!" and chasing me from the camp like a good old-fashioned exorcism - hence the apologetic "(going on 8)" tagged on to the end of every "Kelly" credit in the paper.
Ahhh, yes, there was more. The determined little under-age writer that I was, I actually somehow qualified for a personal interview- me and Fred Penner (who was apparently camp speaker or something that week... who knows?) Yup, I was in the big leagues.
Does anyone else get positively mortified when seeing pictures or hearing stories of themselves in younger years? I mean, supposedly it was cute at the time, but reading about it feels a bit like staring at a train wreck- a train wreck named ME.
Anyways, I'm just going to bite the bullet and hope you'll allow all the grace due to someone who wrote this only a third of the way into the life she now leads...
Interview
NAME: KELLY COCHRANE
Q: How old are you?
A: Seven going on eight.
Q: Why did you come to camp?
A: Because her best friend didn't want to be a Christian, so I came to be one.
Q: What's God doing in your life:
A: Making a difference. Making me a better person.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Maccaroni!
Q: Favorite Bible character?
A: Jesus
Q: What are your future plans?
A: To become a dancer.
Q: What is your favorite verse?
A: Ephesians something. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Q: What is your favorite saying?
A: Oh nuts!
Well folks, I think we have plenty of fodder for commentary, to say the least. Always eager to amuse you, I remain faithfully yours,
~Kelly Ann Cochrane, age 21 (going on 22!)
It's been an interesting turn of events that has led me to this post tonight. And, like all epic stories, this tale began... on Facebook.
Several weeks ago, shortly after relocating to the grounds of Dauphin Bible Camp, I received a message from a guy who was, as far as I can tell, a camp counsellor at DBC during my first summer there, a full 14 years ago. Let's see, divide my life by 3, and it was at the end of the first chunk, almost exactly. (Useless fact. But hey, sorta puts life into perspective, don't it?)
This guy wanted to know if I was THE Kelly Cochrane, the infamous poet who had apparently charmed him with her 7-year-old rhyming ways back in the day. Apparently some kid had submitted some pretty wacky poems to the camp newspaper in 1993. I said... "hmmm, from that description, I can't tell you, but it sure sounds like me!" (No, I'm not being vain, but I WAS one of those nerdy kids who took Journalism religiously at camp and would likely have done something like that). But, just to confirm (a.k.a. amuse myself), I asked the guy to send me these poems to refresh my memory.
Now, I re-read the poems and they did start to come back to me, but just to be clear here, I'm still not entirely certain if I wrote these poems or just submitted them to the paper, neglecting to name an author other than myself. So whether you are currently reliving with me "My First Publication" or "My First Plagiarism" is still unclear... but hey, either way, to do so at 7 is pretty prestigious!
The Monster
There used to be a monster,
His name was Dippy Doo,
He wasn't very friendly,
For his age was 62,
There were a lot of people,
in my crowded house,
but when he wasn't around,
it was as quiet as a mouse.
The Poem
I awoke one night,
when my brother had a fight.
I awoke one night,
when my sister had a blister.
I awoke one night,
when my dog had caught a frog.
I awoke one night,
when my cat killed a rat.
I awoke one night,
when Ted turned red.
I awoke one night,
when Scott got caught.
I awoke one night,
don't you see
something really scared me.
by Kelly Cochrane
Age 7 (going on 8)
(If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I wrote these.)
As I told the counsellor in our e-mail exchange, the thing I remember most vividly is putting "7 going on 8" in the paper... now, I wasn't one of those kids who was always trying to act or sound older, but my concerns here were quite legitimate (I thought)... the youngest age you could come to camp back then was 8 (now we have Young Camper's week), but since I was always a year younger than everyone else in my grade, when everyone else was 8, I was still 7. So my mom called the camp and asked if I could come at 7 (they'd let Becca do the same 2 years earlier)... they let me come, but I was still quite concerned that everyone would find out I was 7 and immediately band together in unity, crying "You don't belong here- you're SEVEN!!!" and chasing me from the camp like a good old-fashioned exorcism - hence the apologetic "(going on 8)" tagged on to the end of every "Kelly" credit in the paper.
Ahhh, yes, there was more. The determined little under-age writer that I was, I actually somehow qualified for a personal interview- me and Fred Penner (who was apparently camp speaker or something that week... who knows?) Yup, I was in the big leagues.
Does anyone else get positively mortified when seeing pictures or hearing stories of themselves in younger years? I mean, supposedly it was cute at the time, but reading about it feels a bit like staring at a train wreck- a train wreck named ME.
Anyways, I'm just going to bite the bullet and hope you'll allow all the grace due to someone who wrote this only a third of the way into the life she now leads...
Interview
NAME: KELLY COCHRANE
Q: How old are you?
A: Seven going on eight.
Q: Why did you come to camp?
A: Because her best friend didn't want to be a Christian, so I came to be one.
Q: What's God doing in your life:
A: Making a difference. Making me a better person.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Maccaroni!
Q: Favorite Bible character?
A: Jesus
Q: What are your future plans?
A: To become a dancer.
Q: What is your favorite verse?
A: Ephesians something. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Q: What is your favorite saying?
A: Oh nuts!
Well folks, I think we have plenty of fodder for commentary, to say the least. Always eager to amuse you, I remain faithfully yours,
~Kelly Ann Cochrane, age 21 (going on 22!)
Labels: auto-biography, camp, on writing, reprints
8:58 AM
Too cute Kelly! You & Becca have such nice writing skills. Your stories always seem to "flow" nicely, and your writing is just great! I'm jealous :D.
Hope you're having fun there at Camp! top
10:41 PM
...you mean there could be another Kelly Cochrane? That would be too much.
It's really fascinating what things stick in people's minds. The seemingly small and insignificant things to us may be the way others remember us. Kinda makes one think... top