Two showers, 6 loads of laundry, 9-1/2 hours of sleep, and 2 cups of hot tea post-camping have got me feeling like a human being again. It's a good thing our troop hasn't caught on to the fact that primitive camping trips are something many other troops plan and go on. I would probably draw the line if I had to take 12 girls out into the woods with no cots or toilets or ready-made fire pits like we had on this particular trip.
Actually, the worst part of the trip was not the absence of my usual creature comforts. The worst part was that I learned a bit more about some of our girls. I learned that one of them is very rude to grown-ups and was apparently never taught to say please or to phrase any of her needs as a request rather than a flat demand. I learned that one of them is heading for a high-maintenance adulthood, if her insistence that she couldn't do anything and needed it done for her is any indication. I learned that a couple of them very readily gang up on another if the opportunity presents itself. I learned that one of them really does have a violently short fuse, as Sister has told me before.
About myself, I learned that I should skip high-stress trips if I'm sick and way behind on my sleep. I can only hope that poor Sister won't have to deal with comments about how mean her mama is. I tried my best not to embarrass her but it was hard. Also, my realization many years ago that I should steer clear of any career involving dealing with people because I don't actually like being around many people may hold true for being a Girl Scout leader. 'Cause, you know, kids are just people and not some special wonderful species all their own.
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4 comments:
I was thinking about you this weekend. I'm okay as a helper but I don't do well leading kids. My 4th grader has been having a lot of mean girl issues within her classroom and scout troop. She is a sweet natured person and has a hard time dealing with others who are not. We talk about it but there is only so much I can do. Chalk it up as a life lesson.
I can't believe you actually went through with it. I would have killed everyone in the woods. It seems the older I get..ahem..the more I hate being around people! And kids really are, just little people.
And girls can be MEAN!!!! Boys just duke it out and the situation is over. Not girls, man. You've got an enemy for LIFE with a girl.
Uh. Yeah. I don't think I would be cut out for that either. I would have a difficult time not losing it, I think.
The Fly Girls were on "In Living Color" by the way so you don't stay up tonight thinking about it.
Happy Mother's Day!!!
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