pre-camper moments II

So, Day 2 of Staff Training has ended and I am sore. Today was a particularly rough day – I have never been someone with which rope courses and trust falls sit well. Today was jam-packed with team-leading activities, which normally I’d be okay with- except the ones requiring me to put up with great levels of discomfort. The worst of which being the trust fall- rather than falling backwards into a bed of outstretched arms, we fell backwards into what was initially an empty space, only to be filled with flat arms after we had reached a 15% angle of falling. But, the falling isn’t even the worst part- it’s the group hug, being cradled by 15 people, and just close quarters for a good 35-40 minutes altogether that really ruins me. Which is why, although I could “choose not to do this event”, and avoid the falling, it’s the lesser of two evils, so I go with it and try not to make a fuss.


More from my journal:

(In relation to an activity entitled “On the Line”, in which one end of the room is a sign stating “Strongly Agree” and on the opposite side, a sign stating “Strong Disagree”, while a line in the middle of the room represents “Neutral”. Participants are asked to gage their opinion towards specific statements ranging from “I believe Barack Obama will do a good job as president” to “I believe in waiting to have sex until marriage” to “I think people in student government are snobs”.)

That was one of the best camp activities I’ve ever done. It truly did make you question your beliefs and what lies beneath them. I found myself wanting to ask staff members about specific opinions they had, like nutrition major Cami’s disagreement with the statement “Organic foods are better for you than non-organic foods” or assistant to the Barack Obama’s election campaign Jake Smith’s neutrality on the Obama statement mentioned above. And, I felt blessed when I could truthfully and triumphantly march to “Strongly Agree” in accordance to the statement “I have a best friend”. Although I debated making the distinction between “a best friend” and “at least one best friend”, I was fully aware that some of the staff members that remained neutral or disagreed were not struggling with the same thoughts.
And, I was again reminded that everyone judges- it’s human/American nature. What you do with those judgments is what makes the difference.

This staff is a blast. We’re already partying and it’s only Day 2.
Lights out.

PS: Quick question- wondering why I am hearing a baby cry in a college dorm building in July…?