Something new...

A few years ago at girls camp ( I was there as the Beehive Leader) which meant everyone in camp assumed I was in charge of all girls especially those first and 2nd years. Maybe it had something to do with my control issues, possibly something to do with the fact that we had 12 and 13 yr olds away from home, on the mountain, in a tent by themselves...who wants to be responsible for that??Lucky me! I of course am not scared of a few girls, and I really have no problem telling people what they should do...

There are a few basic rules in Sister Wardell's Only Way To Go To Girls Camp Handbook. One rule ( not to be more important than any other rule) is that everyone there is responsible for themselves. (I can already hear the comments...WHAT? of course with support, supervision etc) What I mean by this is that we all take care of our own responsibilities and not leave them to someone else! I believe that the girls have a few simple rules to follow and these mean that the week spent will be Girls Camp Heaven. They know what their tents look like, when they first go in, they also know that they alone will be responsible (along with their tentmates) to make them look like that when we are ready to fold them up again. I usually try to let the girls live in what ever state of organization they enjoy while on the mountain. As long as they are safe and dry who am I to say a slightly disordered pig sty is any less comfortable than an organized tent.

That being said...this particular year, one of our other leaders (who shall remain nameless) said to me...quite nicely...Sister Wardell, I think you should go check on the first years. I of course responded right away. After all these were meek, mild, quiet, shy first years. Hardly made a peep, barely knew they were in camp! As I approach the tent I notice their tote boxes (insert suitcase here) neatly stacked outside the tent. Brave Sister Leader is helping these newbies clean their tent. As I approach, all I can hear over the din, noise, complaints, words running out of young mouths at about 80 words per minute is "you should see this"....Let me just say, that seeing the Red Sea part could have shocked me no less than the contents of that tent! I have never before, probably never will again, seen a hurricane restrict its activities to the inside of one small tent in such fashion and leave said tent standing! To say it was a pig sty, is a gross misunderstatement. To say a hurricane, is only a mild description! Unbelievable even with my own eyes telling me so...that one tent in two days could be in such a condition! I of course wade right into the fray...As I am telling the girls (nicely I'm sure) what to do...and how to do it... I hear these words come out of my mouth: "You two! Your done! You have used your word allottment for the day! Not another peep...If I ask you a question nod at me...other wise nada! We then proceeded to clean up the tent, get the girls and gear back in, and have a good discussion about what being responsible for yourself really means! I love these girls and just know that I think they love me...It was really just another day in the life of girls camp! Of course what is the ONE THING that everyone takes home from the mountain that year??? You guessed it..."You have used your word allottment for the day!" Girls and leaders alike all proceeded to pete and repeat my particular choice of words. It became a mantra for our young womens group, to infer in almost any situation, that something was slightly amiss and a gentle reminder to remember who we are.

The moral of the story is: I feel like those first years sometimes. Never very organized and way to many words needing to be said. Somedays, I just have lots to say about nothing in particualr...so the start of something new....I have started a new blog. "When I Get Where I am Going..." www.itjustis2.blogspot.com is just a blog of random thoughts. I don't have a "style" in mind...I am not planning to skew it toward politics, philosophy, humor, or otherwise...Just life...in all its ups and downs...just life and my need to use up some words. I am planning to keep this blog going so that you can continue to be updated and (thrilled I'm sure ) with the ongoings of us Wardell's. I never feel very comfortable turning this blog into "my blog". I don't know why I have the nagging need to keep them separate I just do. I love writing this for myself, my family and friends, but I also love the daily conversations that my fellow bloggers provide through feedback and comments...I invite you to follow along with both...