Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
I am working at an indoor site this whole week. Tansley Woods in Burlington. Beautiful facility, amazing kids (especially my buttercup of a camper... GUH, I LOVE him already!).
The staff are nice, too. But I much more enjoyed the welcome of the kids than I did of the staff. Before even being introduced to the kids there, I was being asked if I could sit beside some particularly enthusiastic little friends who said I had pretty hair and my picture name tag was the best they've ever seen (Note: they are 5 years old. They haven't seen many pictures!). When introduced to the staff at the meeting before camp commenced, I got a few waves and one nod of a head (I wanted one of them to call me pretty and ask me to sit with them too. Or at least offer me a chair).It wasn't an ideal welcoming, and it didn't really ease the anxiousness I was feeling walking into a new program at this stage in the summer ("This stage" being week 6).
I had A LOT of fun with the kids today. Jonathan is an incredibly sweet young boy! And it's not that I felt EXcluded among the staff, but I just didn't necessarily feel INcluded.
I wonder how that phenomenon shift from childhood, where everyone's a friend, to adulthood, where backs are up to everyone who's not privileged enough to BE a friend, came to be?
Indoor sites rarely have Helping Hands campers, so it's not uncommon to be the only HH counselor when a special needs camper attends one of these camps. The position of the HH counselor during these weeks can be pretty lonely... No one else on staff really understands what you are doing for the HH camper or understands the disability as much as you do. What's more, you're walking into a program where the staff have already been working with one another for umpteen days, and have lots to gab about without extending the conversation to the new person. It's ok, and maybe that's what it's like when a supply comes up to fill in for one of us at Chippewa. I will say, though, that having been the person on the "new" side, I'm going to make a more conscious effort to include the person filling in or visiting more.
I MISSED EVERYONE AT CHIPPEWA SO MUCH TODAY! And I even missed melting, too. And swimming in brown water. And the bus. And the possibility of being able to wear my rain boots, because it DID rain, and really good too.... totally a rain boot worthy rain! GUH! I'm definitely looking forward to returning next week!
In alternative news....
I've been really happy lately (...despite the above rant, haha). I like it.
And I'm going to see Michael Bublé tomorrow!
Bah, it's going to be a hectic next couple days: Tomorrow: Work-Beautify-HurryToKylie's-HurryToGoStation-Concert-Home(orKylie's)-....SLEEP...; Wednesday: Work-FigureOutWhatToDo-StaffMeetingBackInBUrlington@7. Not looking forward to all the rushing around and gas usage. But sometimes good times with awesome friends are worth all that monetary, replaceable stuff. And I am certainly attending tomorrow's concert with some of the best friends I or anyone could ever ask for. As Dave Matthews says "Turns out not where but who you're with that really matters". True enough Davey. I love you girls, and I know I am very blessed to have you in my life <3 .
Yep, happy.
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