Goodbyes and the honor system

He drove us to our tent, and we hugged and said goodbye. He left us each with trip-hop Cds.

I noticed that the tarp and rope we’d lent someone the night before had been returned, tucked under my car with a CD, and contact information. So, we’d helped out Frank Morgan, according to the CD. Couldn’t have told you that for anything. We were just walking down the dark road and heard someone saying they didn’t have a rain fly.

At the door to the tent lay the deck of playing cards Tina had lent to Albert and Elle. She didn’t think she’d get them back; not that Albert and Elle weren’t perfectly nice, but they seemed a bit flakey. We’d had to capture their dog, Kaia, the night before when she was found wandering down the road without a collar, and I kept her in the tent while Tina searched for Albert. So, Tina doubted that Albert would remember to return anything, but at Camp Casey, everything is on the honor system, and people respect that.

Food Not Bombs was short water, which they’d need for coffee and oatmeal in the morning. We had four gallons that we hadn’t touched, so Tina and I walked it down to them. They were asleep, so we left it by the stove.

Up at the end of camp, a small circle sat around a Coleman lantern and chatted about the day. We wandered up and took seats, Yasser, Patrick, Fred, Dennis, and one or two others were there. Ann Wright drove up and came and sat for a while, told stories of different people who’d come to Camp Casey, chuckled about some of the things they’d done and achieved.

Have I mentioned what a humbling experience Camp Casey is? You're sitting with a few people who have become your heroes, and then someone like Ann Wright wanders over and plops down. And you think, how did I get here?

Ann went off to bed, and shortly after that so did I. Our tent had been invaded by fire ants earlier in the afternoon, and though I’d cleaned them up and swept them out, I didn’t feel like making my bed. I slept in the car again, soundly and comfortably.