Три фактора определили мои ценности и сформировали меня...

Three factors determined my values ​​and shaped me as a person. These are parents, physical and lyceum 239 and children's camp Zerkalny. Well, Pavel Valeryevich is still a little bit. Everything is clear with the school, parents and Durov. But the camp from this list stands out. I didn’t tell anyone about him. Because it is impossible to tell. Even in the songs from there, there is the line “The one who has not been here yet will not understand us, but it's a pity” (this is the only song that muscle memory has forever preserved; I can play it on the guitar, although I forgot all the chords of all the songs for a long time). The camp has its own subculture, its own community, traditions and history. Mirrored today is 50 years old.

This is the most important piece of my life. From there, the most valuable and long-standing friends, there were the most profound experiences. And it's not about falling in love, but rather about spiritual experience. There were also the most difficult tests - from scratch to show yourself and others what you are worth, to recognize yourself. One day in the camp in terms of saturation was like a few months of ordinary life. Now I can’t always say what happened during the year, and from there I remember a lot of events, stories, people, various details. All my first VKontakte friends are from there, it’s still interesting for me to follow their life.

I will never forget how in the camp for the first time it was required to show leadership qualities. My first experience managing a team if you want. I was a trainee then (this is such a minor assistant counselor with all the rights of a counselor, but without legal liability for children). I didn’t tell how I was an intern in the camp? We were the first trainees of the new generation, revived this tradition in the camp, I am one of the founding fathers of the Trainee club at Anichkov Palace, so to speak. I didn’t really become a counselor, I captured studies.

So, the first internship experience, the first day of the shift. Nobody knows anyone, but for the day it is necessary to prepare the performance of the squad for the opening shift concert. The crowd of children needs to be introduced to each other, to create a cool performance and prepare it. And you do not have authority before them. And now, I don’t remember why, but the main counselor merges. Just puts a bolt on the kids and leaves. I am left alone with them. No choice. In addition, this is what I went to interns for. My finest hour, if you want. In general, everything worked out and we prepared a great performance. I am still grateful to that counselor. If he had not merged, I would not have received such a powerful experience.

You can talk about the camp for hours. Therefore, I will tell you about the most important tradition - the light. Every evening before the end, everyone sits in a circle in the dark. A candle is lit. Each in turn picks her up and shares the most secret. What worries him, what matters to him, what happened during the day, some thoughts - anything. An atmosphere of complete trust and openness. Almost spiritualistic session. The candle is transmitted in a circle, everyone speaks out. If the candle fire does not fluctuate, then the atmosphere is calm. If the flame flutters, this is a bad sign. If the candle goes out, the light is interrupted and everyone disperses through the rooms. No psychotherapy is comparable in depth of experience with a twinkle. I don’t think that I’ve ever been as open with someone in my life as I did then. Despite the fact that I'm generally quite open.

Here I am writing about the light and again I understand that it is impossible to convey in words. You can only feel it. The stories about the camp never impressed other people. Although the number of superlatives (the most important) in this post alone hints at the big difference between the perception of what is happening there from the inside and the way this sounds to an outside observer. When you are in the camp, you are completely isolated from the events of the outside world (there was no mobile Internet then). The world is also isolated from the camp. It is like an island from LOST - it is difficult to find, easy to lose, and impossible to forget. The experience in the camp is almost religious. In a good way. Such deep connections there are formed between people and such powerful traditions.

A beautiful Large Mirror Mirror Medal was to be attached to this post. I could not find her quickly, because she was hidden somewhere very far away, in a box among the most valuable memories. It is given to only a few people for the entire shift, or maybe to just one person, I do not remember. I was very active then and they handed it to me at the end of the shift. I would not be proud of some adult regalia, but I am proud of this, children's one. It was a glorious time. The camp made my childhood exactly what it should be. I am very sorry that I did not reach the 50th anniversary of Zerkalny today.

Every day during the last lights out, the same melody played in the camp - Svetlana's lullaby. We have all grown up long ago: adult worries, everyday life, problems, mistakes, negative experiences, feelings are no longer so bright. Sometimes it’s easy to forget your base - who you are, who you were, which is really important, what real deep feelings are (it's not about love). At such moments, it helps to include this melody. She returns at that time and fills the chest in the solar plexus with fire. And you understand that the living within you is still there. Here she is - b