Angie going camping

Thursday August 3, 2006

 
I finished teaching at 7pm today. I promised Angie to buy her some things she needs for camping. On August 4-6 2006 she is going camping to Bantir, a camping location oftentimes visited by high school students. It is located not quite far from Semarang. It takes about one hour by bus.

When I was in junior and senior high school, my parents never let me go camping.  I was very unhappy of course but I couldn’t do anything. I know their forbidding me to go camping coz they loved me and were worried if something wrong happened to me. But still I was very unhappy, disappointed, and upset. So??? Until now I never have any experience to go camping.

This bitter experience makes me think differently from my parents. I always let Angie go camping with her school friends. I know I can trust Angie to take care of herself well. Besides having fun to do that with her friends, Angie can also learn to be independent.

Yesterday, Angie just got period; one thing that really upset her. Going camping when getting period is really unfavorable. A workmate of mine said to me, “Don’t you think you had better not let her go? I heard some bad things happen to those going camping in that place; mostly some people get in a trance by spirits entering their bodies.” And I got confused whether to let Angie go camping this time or not. When I talked about this possibility—Angie not going camping—to her, she looked very disappointed. My reason to her was that it would be very uncomfortable for her to go camping when she gets period. Teenagers like her oftentimes get stomachache, besides, of course Angie cannot easily wash her panties when she has to change them, etc.

But then, I came to the conclusion that she can go camping. She is bigger than some years ago when I let her go camping. Nothing to worry about, is it? And when Angie goes home, and talks about her exciting experience during the camping, I will be very happy to listen to her. Besides, I can enjoy my being alone, being an individual Nana, not a mother, for some days. LOL. People always need some time to be alone, don’t they?

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