Real Job

When I was in high school and college, my biggest fear was that I would have to grow up and get a “real job”. A “real job” in my mind was in an office with rows and rows of cubicles. I imagined wearing dress clothes and doing a lot of paperwork. The thought of it made me nervous and depressed. I dreamed about becoming an archaeologist or a photographer or something that would keep me out of an office.

Being a camp director requires a lot of time in an office and probably more paperwork than most of those cubicle jobs I dreaded so badly. But then there are days like yesterday and today and I wish I could go back in time and tell the younger version of myself to relax and stop worrying- being a grown up with a “real job” isn’t so bad.

Yesterday we tipped canoes. I dread it every year because it’s usually cold and rainy, but it’s always the highlight of staff training. We take everyone out in the middle of the lake. One canoe at a time, they tip over and then have to get back into the boat. It’s important to learn in case they tip while leading kids, and it is a great team builder. My dad used to paddle out in his own canoe and float off in the distance while watching us silently and just laugh and laugh. I missed him so much yesterday.

The sun was shining and the water was really warm. Each canoe tipped and rescued quickly (even those that were nervous made it back in the boat pretty easily). We were paddling back, both Program Director Ms (yes, they both have the same name this year) and I. We were joking around, laughing so hard my face hurt and I thought, “this is totally what I meant when I said I didn’t want to work in an office”. It was magical and I am so proud of the staff that I have put together this year.

Today was the mandatory staff training talent show. M, M, A and I wrote a silly song to sing, but I was happy with how it turned out. The rest of the staff came up with skits, dances, a magic show and other silly acts. It turned out to be a really good show and as I laughed and enjoyed the entertainment, I once again thought, “real jobs aren’t so awful after all”.