第2部分(第3/6 页)

dership　camp　hosted　by　a　college　in　Michigan。　I　was　already　highly　involved　in　most　campus　activities；　and　I　jumped　at　the　opportunity。

About　an　hour　into　the　first　day　of　camp；　amid　the　frenzy　of　icebreakers　and　forced　interactions；　I　first　noticed　the　boy　under　the　tree。　He　was　small　and　skinny；　and　his　obvious　disfort　and　shyness　made　him　appear　frail　and　fragile。　Only　fifty　feet　away；　two　hundred　eager　campers　were　bumping　bodies；　playing；　joking　and　meeting　each　other；　but　the　boy　under　the　tree　seemed　to　want　to　be　anywhere　other　than　where　he　was。　The　desperate　loneliness　he　radiated　almost　stopped　me　from　approaching　him；　but　I　remembered　the　instructions　from　the　senior　staff　to　stay　alert　for　campers　who　might　feel　left　out。

As　I　walked　toward　him；　I　said；“Hi；　my　name　is　Kevin；　and　I’m　one　of　the　counselors。　It’s　nice　to　meet　you。　How　are　you？”　In　a　shaky；　sheepish　voice　he　reluctantly　answered；　“Okay；　I　guess。”　I　calmly　asked　him　if　he　wanted　to　join　the　activities　and　meet　some　new　people。　He　quietly　replied；　“No；　this　is　not　really　my　thing。”

I　could　sense　that　he　was　in　a　new　world；　that　this　whole　experience　was　foreign　to　him。　But　I　somehow　knew　it　wouldn’t　be　right　to　push　him；　either。　He　didn’t　need　a　pep　talk；　he　needed　a　friend。　After　several　silent　moments；　my　first　interaction　with　the　boy　under　the　tree　was　over。

At　lunch　the　next　day；　I　found　myself　leading　camp　songs　at　the　top　of　my　lungs　for　two　hundred　of　my　new　friends。　The　campers　eagerly　participated。　My　gaze　wandered　over　the　mass　of　noise　and　movement　and　was　caught　by　the　image　of　the　boy　from　under　the　tree；　sitting　alone；　staring　out　the　window。　I　nearly　forgot　the　words　to　the　song　I　was　supposed　to　be　leading。　At　my　first　opportunity；　I　tried　again；　with