Reflections from the Shores – Ethan Levine’s Sermon
Shabbat Shalom,
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ethan Levine and this is my 10th summer on the shores of Kawaga and 3rd on staff.
Next time you’re in the pineneedle, I challenge you to look around. I’m not talking about playing eye spy or snooping in private drawers. If you look hard enough, you might find your way to the side of my desk. In white and black labels, you will find one of the things I find so special about this place.
In 2016, I was thrown into a world I had no clue about. I was hearing magical cheers that sounded like gibberish and only got excited when the chips went bananas. I spent too much time at trampball and I wasn’t able to broaden my horizons. That summer flew by, and each and every year, I learned a little bit more about myself and what I could do in a place so magical as camp. But that is not what I am here to talk with you all about today.
Although I was young when I first came here, I was still cognizant of those people around me and how they influenced me. Looking to the past for influence has always been a steady way for me to see how I can evolve and adapt in the future. “Reach into the future, but never forget the past.” It’s not just a line, it’s what you make of it. Especially when it comes to cheering in the Mess hall.
Most cheers have been passed down just because that is how things have always been. There’s your typical “I love Kawagas” and “oh when the chips” which haven’t changed for decades. There are, however, cheers that emerge and evolve over time and have different meanings.
When I say “and the Home of the Spatch,” I’m not mispronouncing brave. I’m paying homage to Sam Pacala, a dedicated counselor I had for four years, while albeit a little goofy, is still a major influence in how I view my role as a staffman and where I belong here at camp.
When we cheer, “Flame on!” We are continuing the legacy of Ben Griffin, a counselor that might have been a legendary sailor, also but could always make you laugh and feel recognized.
When I say my Sachem name in the counsel ring, I am reciting what Michael Simon saw me as…Sturdy… reliable and there for those who need me.
All of this is to say that the people who have come before and with whom you surround yourself with shape who you are and what is next to come in your life. I am thankful to have been surrounded by a group of guys like my fellow 2022 CITs. We have been through thick and thin and I am proud to call you the brothers I never had. I know that with each and everyone of you I will be challenged to be the best version of myself and I don’t know any other group of people who would do that for me. Thank you for bugging me in the pineneedle and keeping me company on long nights, it means the world and I am beyond the moon to be here with you all this summer.
When you heard “Little Eyes” earlier in this service. I’d be willing to bet you most of you gazed off and brushed it aside. Everything that I have said has roots linking back to the vitality of those “Little Eyes.” When I looked up to Sam Pacala, Ben Griffin, and Mike Simon for the first time, they were campers just like anyone else here. Yet, a few years later here I am continuing their legacies by chanting their gifts to camp. I challenge you all to be that inspiration for someone else and leave a lasting mark on this place. Give it your all in that speccy block and be remembered for that determination and competitiveness rivaled by none. Cheer so loud in the Mess Hall so that you always have a raspy voice. Be the friend in someone’s time of need. These are just a fraction of the ways that you can make a lasting impact in someone else’s life beyond this summer.
While your days this summer may be finite, whether that be one more week or five. You have unlimited opportunities to change the way someone perceives you and remembers you. I challenge you to earn someone’s respect, evolve a friendship with someone you’ve never met, or lead by example everyday in all you do.
While we may not all have our nicknames chanted in the mess hall, we all have the potential to leave someone feeling better than when before they interacted with us.
If you want to see the results of being kind, supportive, and an amazing role model, look no further than those black and white labels on the side of my desk in the Pineneedle. There, the names of my most influential former cabin counselors remind me everyday of the lasting impact that I can hopefully pass onto others.
Those whom we spend our time around shape us into who we are. My hope for everyone is that you choose to spend it with those important to you, those who look out for you, and those that care about your success.
I know that I have found my place and people with Evan, John, Ethan, Tyson, Oogie, Jayden, Meyer, Jason, Frank, and Griffin. I wish everyone the best of luck this next week and I’m excited to be back in the place I love most.
Let’s all work to be the lasting impact in someone’s life, and hey, maybe we can find our name’s on the side of a desk one day.
CIT 2..0..22 Forever
Thank you.