Giving Up Can Be The Opposite of Weakness

During my third year of summer camp as a Boy Scout, I was faced with a brand new challenge. With plenty of camping trips under my belt, I felt like I could really focus on my merit badge classes and enjoy the warm summer atmosphere whilst making great memories with friends. I wasn't afraid to eat my fair share of the dinning food, and I was obtaining more sleep on a camping trip than I ever had before. My merit badge classes were adventurous and fun (a privilege for attending camp for several years) and I felt on top of the world. I spent the beginning part of the trip helping younger scouts learn the ropes as we took swimming tests and unpacked our bags.

During sometime in the middle of the week, I woke up one morning with a sore throat. Thinking I was simply suffering from a post nasal drip in the dry weather, I pressed on throughout the day enjoying myself and attending classes. However, the feeling in the back of my throat did not dissipate. Instead, my throat began to hurt worse as time progressed. By the evening camp fire performances, my head began to hurt as well. I had definitely caught a bug, and the symptoms were still getting worse.

When I woke up in the morning, my entire body shook with fever chills and my head throbbed. Scared I would be sent home early if I told someone, I attempted to go to my merit badge classes and enjoy my day the best I could. However, by dinner time, the fever was unbearable. I told my dad and other troop leaders how I felt, and I had to discard my stubbornness to trek down to the medical station for an evaluation. The doctor at the small clinic told me I had a bad cold that would most likely progress further if I continued to push myself physically. Dejected, I went to bed that night knowing that I could be sent home the next day.

Upon opening my eyes, I knew instantly that my condition had worsened. I approached my leaders and told them I needed to go home. To my appreciation, everyone was extremely supportive and helpful in packing up my tent. Sometime mid-afternoon, my mom came and picked me up from camp and I headed home. As soon as I took some meds and slept, I began to feel better. I had made the right decision.

This camping experience taught me a serious life lesson. We are taught from a young age that giving up is a sign of weakness. Being a quitter is a negative quality, and it is to be discouraged. After leaving camp sick as a teenager, I realized that sometimes giving up is the hardest option of all. In fact, in certain cases, giving up can showcase maturity as it requires one to reevaluate his or her priorities. Sometimes, giving up can be the exact opposite of showing weakness.

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