My Adult "Tent Fort"

When I was a young boy I would make "tent forts" on my bunk bed.  It was my getaway where I could let my imagination go wild and escape reality for awhile.  In some ways, my camper has become my adult "tent fort".  I'll explain. 

This past week, I held a company meeting at my camper.  My sales team all came to talk about the quarter that was just ending and the new fiscal year that would begin on Monday.  I had previously met with each of them individually to talk about their specific goals for the upcoming quarter, so this meeting was about team and was designed to allow the team members to loosen up a bit and enjoy some time away from the office.

And the concept worked.  We all enjoyed good food, shared great ideas, motivated each other for the upcoming quarter, and enjoyed a great fire until late into the night.  It was a great setting that provided an opportunity to bond more with my team and to be in a more relaxed setting.  We all had a fantastic time. 

It's somewhat strange to think about my attitude evolution regarding the camper in the last nearly four years.  When I went to Kentucky to work, I despised the camper.  To me, it represented and symbolized all of the failures that I had just endured.  Here I was, a man in his mid-forties that had tasted the good life and was now working 3 hours from home in another state and in a camper the size of the foyer of my previous home.

I now look forward to my time away at the camper.  Yes, I still miss my family terribly when I have to travel to Kentucky, but the camper has become a "friend".  It has become a place for me to go and think, plan, read, focus, and gain perspective on my life.  It is a place where I have laughed out loud to myself, cried tears of anquish and pain, and a place where I have learned to relax and prepare for my next step, my next journey in life.

And when I take that next step in my journey, I will think back fondly of the times that I spent in the camper; times that allowed me to grow as a father, as a husband, as a friend, and as a leader.