Keep Calm and Gravy On
BETWEEN THE MEDICAL DOME AND THE ART GROVE circa 3pm—This session was remarkably cool and temperate, though you wouldn’t know by today’s weather. The heat bears down impressively as families stroll by toting luggage and smiling their goodbyes. The bustle of open house can be heard emanating from downtown. Camp Winnarainbow Founders Wavy Gravy and Jahanara Romney (the Gravys, as they are collectively known) have positioned themselves neatly along the road to the kitchen to bid farewell to the patrons of Session A, 2025. They sit in the shade on two folding chairs with an overturned milkcrate as a makeshift table.
“Hold this Izze while I blow my nose,” says Wavy to Jahanara, handing her an unfinished orange soda can. “That sounds like a song; HOLD THIS IZZEE WHILE I—”
“Wavy!” says Jahanara, interrupting his musical performance. “JP is here to interview us. We need to tell him something to spice up the blog.”
“Oh ok,” says Wavy. “Well, Session A is great for people who are just sticking their toes in the Camp experience. Once they see it for one week, they usually come back for two. It gets better the longer you stay.”
“We did morning reading every day for the Campers,” explains Jahanara. “Wavy, you told your coyote story.”
“AH-OOOO!” he howls in agreement.
“He also told the story of when he owned a pet bear as a young man,” she adds.
“I forget the bear’s name; I think we just called it ‘the bear’,” he recalls. “It used its prehensile snout to turn on all the water in the bathroom.”
Just then Maintenance Man Irik Larson appears in the Gravys’ golf cart, stopping with a lurch.
“Hey, I thought I was Wavy Gravy,” he jokes.
“A likely story,” sneers Wavy.
“I was just stopping by to see if you guys want any pink lemonade or crackers or grapes or something like that,” says Irik in his characteristic rapid cadence. He and Jahanara begin discussing the particulars of their snack needs. Wavy turns to me for a mischievous aside.
“I love to say goodbye,” he whispers. “Watch this: HEY THERE, WE’RE GONNA MISS YOU,” he bellows, startling a passing family.
“Thanks! I’m definitely coming back next year,” responds a child.
“Me too!” chuckles Wavy. The family continues to the sign-out table and Wavy resumes pondering aloud his love of goodbye-ing.
“Hello, goodbye—it’s all the same,” he posits. “CARRY ON! See? They love it.”
I ask Wavy if he has any advice for aspiring clowns and activists.
“Keep dancing toward the fun,” he says. “Or, ‘Keep on keepin’ on’. Or what about, ‘Put your good where it will do the most.’ That’s a good one.”
Just then Camp’s Director Ginger Jackson-Gleich strolls by, helping a family find their way somewhere.
“There goes Ginger Pearcake!” exclaims Wavy. “Our fearless leader—it ain’t me, babe. NO, NO, NO, IT AIN’T ME BABE!”
“Wavy!,” scolds Jahanara once again. “Here’s a quote for your blog, JP: Session A was fabulous, and it looks like a great summer ahead.”
I thank the Gravys for their time and head to the open house to snap a couple photos.
Thank you to everyone for being a part of Camp Winnarainbow this year! Please have a safe journey home and, as always,
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
