The Acorn People

The memoir’s final section reaches a high, positive climax before falling to a bleak conclusion. The chapter names change, shifting from counting up how many days they’ve been there to counting down how many they have left. This increases the tension, mimicking the anxiety the campers feel as their time at Camp Wiggins comes to a close. Chapters 9 and 10 are short, focusing solely on decoration and training for the water ballet. Ron outright disobeys Mr. Bradshaw, who instructed him to clean the pool before the parents arrive, not decorate it like a pirate ship docking on a remote South Pacific island. Everyone understands how important this is, though, marking an opportunity that many, if not all, the children will never receive again.

Everyone greets the show with delight, and even Mr. Bradshaw doesn’t complain (if only because he arrives with investors too late to stop the show). The children put on their water ballet, demonstrating their sense of unity through the synchronized routine. Some children accomplish the dance with more effort than others since some are more limited, but all are patient and work together to ensure that they pull it off successfully. Their actions thematically reflect The Transformative Power of Community, as this is something they might never have felt capable of individually. Together, motivated by one another, they all reach their dreams for the ballet.

Furthermore, their performance has a significant impact on their families, Mr. Bradshaw, and the investors, teaching them the thematic lesson that Ron has learned at camp: Redefining the Meaning of “Ability.” At drop-off, visits, and pick-ups, Ron notices how prepared the parents are for a negative experience, one in which they feel overwhelmed and their children feel disappointed or excluded. The ballet noticeably changes their attitudes. By the time the swimming race occurs, viewers are eagerly responding, shouting things like “‘Faster!’ ‘Faster!’ ‘Come on, Spider!’” and cheering when the campers win in their plight against the “pirate” forces (75). They experience the same shock and delight that Ron did when he saw how the children thrived in the pool, and they can build a sense of unity and oneness by recognizing that all campers are capable of doing both normal and impressive things, even if they must accomplish things in different ways than individuals without disabilities. It’s a miraculous experience, though reality quickly cuts it short the moment Spider wins the race.

Ron describes how, in the flurry of camp ending, he isn’t able to bid any of the Acorn Society members goodbye before they go, but he feels such a connection to them that he’s certain they understand and are okay with this. Camp felt like a break from a harsh reality, and perhaps enduring a difficult goodbye would only tarnish the otherwise wonderful memories of it. At the end of Chapter 11, however, he restates a line from the beginning: “Most wouldn’t live past the teen years” (79), a sober comment that the beginning of the Epilogue reinforces: “All the principal children in this story are now dead” (80). Ron chooses to end on a sad note, rather than allowing the delightful water ballet to act as the ending, a scene that would have shifted the narrative into something more comforting and inspiring. Instead, he reminds his audience that these children faced difficulties that most people without disabilities do not understand or experience. In a way, the Epilogue emphasizes how rare and precious the experiences at camp were, as the children likely couldn’t experience the same sense of community and hope elsewhere. The final image reaffirms this sentiment: At Benny B.’s funeral, Ron received an old acorn necklace from Benny’s mother, who told him that Benny gave the necklaces to everyone he met. This brings the theme of Mentorship and Reciprocal Teaching to a close: Just as Ron learned from his time around the children, his guidance deeply affected them. The experience that he provided for the Acorn Society was so important to Benny that he carried the sense of inclusion and positivity with him everywhere he went afterward.