Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 72

THE CAMP, THE CREEK AND
Carolyn Elaine
It's an old tale-the shy boy, the unattainable
girl-but one that brings joy and a warm
heart with each new, true telling.
Story and photo by BRUCE INGRAM
ozens of summer camps dot
the coves of the Blue Ridge's
mountains, and for generations
college-age students
have worked at these establishments,
gaining valuable
life and job skills. And, of
course, given the nature of young folks
of that age, summer romances often became
part of the experience as well.
On an early June day in 1974, I spent
D
my first day at Camp Easter Seal in Craig
County, Virginia, as a proctor in charge
of Falcon Cabin. While visiting the various
camp buildings, I wandered into
the laundry room where I met the most
mesmerizing female I have ever encountered.
She identified herself as Carolyn
Elaine Adams from Clifton Forge, Virginia
( " But everyone calls me Elaine " ), and
her green eyes, long eyelashes, and kind,
sweet demeanor instantaneously infatuated
me. I immediately made it my goal
to encounter her whenever possible and
be prepared to say clever and intelligent
quips as preludes to asking her for a date.
The plan proved disastrous. Within a
week-and while I was still working on
witticisms-I saw Elaine walking handin-hand
with a counselor. I spent the
rest of the summer fuming about their
relationship and constantly cursing myself
about my shyness and lack of confidence
concerning all things pertaining
to females. I also learned that Elaine
was everything I was not: sophisticated,
well-educated and well-bred. I spent my
senior years in high school and college
wondering if I would have to attend
summer school-again-to graduate.
72 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
A dream
supremely
realized: A few
years after his
summer-camp
failures, Bruce
Ingram was a
husband and a
father.
I returned to Camp Easter Seal in the
summer of 1975 and so did Elaine, sans
the male counselor by her side. During
first-day orientation, I deliberately sat
down at the table where she and her
cabin proctor Sue were sitting. My plan
was to ask Elaine and Sue to go canoeing
with me, and then afterwards ask out the
former. I figured no way would Elaine go
paddling alone with me.
The scheme did not go well. I positioned
Sue in the bow and Elaine in the
middle so that I could be closer to her.
However, Sue couldn't make even the basic
strokes and before long on that early
June night, her errant draw strokes had
caused Elaine to be sitting in a pool of
water and her cotton shorts and top to
become drenched. The excursion ended
prematurely as a shivering Elaine asked
to return to the launch. While she scurried
back to her cabin, Sue and I took a
leisurely walk and I succumbed to her
flirting and flattery. We dated a few times
that summer, but it was Elaine who was
constantly on my mind.
The summer of 1976, I returned to
Camp Easter Seal for one reason-to ask
Elaine out the first day back... no matter
what. Like all my machinations inONE
REASON
VALENTINE'S
DAY EXISTS
volving her, this one was flawed because
she, as I learned later, spent that summer
working at a bank closely affiliated with
her father who was manager [of course
he was] of a local business.
As fate would have it, I had one
last opportunity to woo the girl of my
dreams. In May of 1977, a Camp Easter
Seal reunion was announced. Not wanting
to leave anything to chance, I contacted
the organizers and asked if Elaine
Adams was attending and they said no.
I gave them her phone number so they
could invite her; I was obviously still too
intimidated to call her myself.
On the day of the reunion, upon arrival
I scanned the room for Elaine, saw
her alone, and for the first time boldly
approached her. Taking a quick glance at
her ring finger, I saw no diamond there
and decided to remain by her side until
I could summon up the will to ask her
out... which took approximately four
hours. However, once again my overtures
did not go well.
" Would you like to go out this Friday
or Saturday night? "
" No, I have dates both nights. "
" Would you like to go out Friday or
Saturday night two weeks from now? "
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022

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