Somewhere Along the Way

This was our last week of camp and I have to say it was a pretty great one. I requested to work with a couple of counselors that I knew were great to minimize any headaches along the way and to go out with a bang. Turns out, this was a fantastic choice. I can think of no other job where I am challenged so much each and every day. And no other job that makes me laugh and cry like this one. Like I said before, part of me thinks I could do this forever. I keep having this thought where I will go teach in New Orleans for two years, earn my certification in special education, and then apply to run a camp for people with special needs. The thought has crossed my mind a few times and I must admit that it's not a bad plan. Some where along the way, I have fallen in love with this work and with these amazing people. I can't quite pinpoint where or when, but I know I have NCCC to thank for that. Had it not been for my team's stint at Camp K, I don't think this is ever something I would have sought out on my own. And it has since become something I can't imagine my life without. So thanks NCCC.

I have also reaffirmed some other things about myself this week. It's no secret that I pride myself as being someone who is punctual and organized with one hell of a work ethic. Those who don't share those same qualities may make great friends, but I find them very challenging to work with as coworkers. When folks are late, lazy, and disorganized, it really tends to rub me the wrong way and this week is no exception. I realize that I have an incredibly low tolerance for people who (pardon my French) just don't have their shit together. It's something I know I need to work on. As a peer, these are behaviors I have no control over, but as a supervisor, these are things I can help people work on. That was something I always told my team, "These are life skills." And as much as they hated it, I like to think it helped them out at least a little bit. So in the midst of my frustration this week, I kept thinking, "I wish there was something I could do about this. I wish I could be some place where other people valued these things as much as I do." Then, for the first time in a long time, the thought "I could join the Army" crossed my mind. We all know I've been down that road before, but the more I think about it, the more I think I could do a really good job. I feel like I would have been okay at it at the ripe age of 22, but I feel like I know myself a heck of a lot better now than I did then.  I have a fairly solid idea of my leadership style and what works for me and what doesn't. I feel like I am going at helping people get the most out of their experience and helping them to develop the skills they want and/or need in order to help them be successful in their next step, no matter what that might me. I also feel like I am good at letting people know that I have their back and that I am willing to go to bat for them. So yeah, the thought is out there. I suppose after my torrid love affair with the military, the thought never actually left. But know I feel that it's out there in a good way and not just in a "I've wanted to do this since 10th grade and it didn't work out the way I planned but I don't know what else to do" kind of way. So I guess we'll see.