Page 14 - 2019 Fall CMTA Report

Eli Landau-Pope (right)
paddleboards with counselor
Maddie Jarrett

R E P O R T F R O M C A M P F O O T P R I N T

One Counselor, Two Campers

A Counselor’s Perspective: Unfortunately, my experience never before connected with other
Maddie Jarrett with CMT during the other 51 people about these specific ele-
weeks of the year is often less than ments of my reality.
celebratory. Just two days after Amidst all of these celebra-
I walked down the terminal returning from Camp Footprint, I tions, sorrows, triumphs, tears and
of the Pittsburgh airport
blossoming new friendships, I
was walking by a stranger who
alone. I was on the way
to my first year of asked in an inappropriately curi- realized that something was
changing. I didn’t realize the full
ous tone, “What’s wrong with
Camp Footprint, and your leg?” The pain of these less- power of this change until I was at
frankly, I was terrified. than-celebratory the airport return-
Thankfully, my moments was also “Joy, acceptance ing home after
fears were unfounded. shared at camp. and empowerment camp had ended.
Camp Footprint was a One evening, the were the air After hugging the
time of abundant cele- older girls and we breathed, final camper good-
bration, joy and hope. counselors shared bye, I made my way
Our days were full of their stories in a and for one week, to my gate. For the
dancing, laughing, vulnerable, heart- CMT and feelings first time in a week,
swimming, singing, wrenching and of celebration were I was walking alone.
story-telling, prank- incredibly tender coupled together.” I was immediately
pulling and thrilling discussion of the re-awakened to the
(but safe!) golf-cart burdens of CMT. We talked about stares of strangers, which accom-
rides. We encouraged the stares we feel when moving in pany virtually all of my public
one another to slide public, the physical pain we expe- outings. For most of my life, I
down the slip-n-slide or rience, the inaccessibility of many have felt those stares. And I have
try standing on the of our schools, our fear of the dis- felt them alone. But something
Counselor Maddie paddleboard. Joy, acceptance and ease’s progression and the was different as I walked down the
Jarrett (left) with
Paola Martinez empowerment were the air we emotional burden all of these have terminal that afternoon.
breathed, and for one week, CMT the potential to cause. It was an We think of our bodies as our
and feelings of celebration were incredibly powerful moment for own. In fact, it seems a bit ridicu-
coupled together. me. In all my 27 years, I had lous to argue otherwise. After all,

14 THE CMTA REPORT FALL 2019