Sunday, March 27, 2005
Long Time
Man, I have not blogged in forever! Actually, I had a damn decent entry written up a few days ago, but something malfunctioned and it didn't get posted. Damn.
I think what I'm gonna do is just go ahead and post the essay I submitted to Teach for America here. I've been thinking about writing a book of camp stories. I was inspired by how good I thought the essay was. It was limited to 500 words and had to answer a specific question, but I think I can turn it into something good. Who knows. Here's the essay, totally unedited because I'm too lazy (and drunk) to do anything to it at the moment. 500 words telling TFA about an instance in the past 4 years that I have led a group of people to action:
Eleven-year-old boys at summer camp do not like to paddle canoes for more than five minutes at a time. They do not like to sit still for more than thirty seconds in a row. They hate being hungry, cannot stand being told repeatedly to gather firewood, and get cranky when forced to sleep on the ground. It takes a large amount of dedication, a good-sized chunk of creativity, and- most importantly- a good attitude to inspire them to do all of these things happily for three concurrent days on a camping trip. I am proud to say that having accomplished this task twice per summer during each of my three as a boys’ camp counselor is an example of my having led a group of people to action.
Keeping the boys happy started before we even left. I had to make sure that my excitement for the trip rubbed off onto them. During the difficult process of packing the things they would be bringing on the trip, I was always certain to brief them on where we would be going and how many cool things we could anticipate experiencing on the way. Once I had made sure that they simply could not wait to leave for the trip, it was time to go and the easy part was over.
A typical day on a canoe trip consisted of approximately five hours of travel. Keeping the camper in the front of the boat paddling and the one in the middle happy and still (the latter of which is very important in maintaining an upright canoe) posed a great challenge for the entire day. My job was, like before, to make sure that my good attitude passed on to the boys. While sitting in the rear of the boat and paddling, I constantly kept up conversation, thought of games to occupy our minds, and generally made sure they did not have time to think about how tired their arms were or how long they had been sitting on hard aluminum.
Once we reached our destination, we were happy to rest our arms but also faced a new array of tasks and challenges to morale. It was my job to ensure that our campsite was set up correctly, which required a good deal of work from everyone on the trip. I found a number of successful techniques to motivate the boys to do what needed to be done, e.g. gathering firewood and setting up tents. From keeping a generally upbeat approach to what could have been viewed as drudgery to reminding them of the delicious meal I was about to cook, I was always successful in motivating them.
I do not look lightly on the accomplishment of leading six boys on a multiple-night camping trip, making it successful and safe, and helping them enjoy it. The success of the trips depended in large part on the actions of the campers. I am proud to say I motivated them to take those actions.
So whaddya think? Would you read a book full of camp stories written by me? Please, please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Even if you think it sucks. Especially if you think it sucks. I'm serious about this book and I need encouragement/ a reality check. Let me hear it!
Also, check this out. You might have to watch a dogfood commercial first, but it's totally worth it! The bird talks! I like "excited" and "evil" the best, I think. But I love the video.
Go Blue.
I think what I'm gonna do is just go ahead and post the essay I submitted to Teach for America here. I've been thinking about writing a book of camp stories. I was inspired by how good I thought the essay was. It was limited to 500 words and had to answer a specific question, but I think I can turn it into something good. Who knows. Here's the essay, totally unedited because I'm too lazy (and drunk) to do anything to it at the moment. 500 words telling TFA about an instance in the past 4 years that I have led a group of people to action:
Eleven-year-old boys at summer camp do not like to paddle canoes for more than five minutes at a time. They do not like to sit still for more than thirty seconds in a row. They hate being hungry, cannot stand being told repeatedly to gather firewood, and get cranky when forced to sleep on the ground. It takes a large amount of dedication, a good-sized chunk of creativity, and- most importantly- a good attitude to inspire them to do all of these things happily for three concurrent days on a camping trip. I am proud to say that having accomplished this task twice per summer during each of my three as a boys’ camp counselor is an example of my having led a group of people to action.
Keeping the boys happy started before we even left. I had to make sure that my excitement for the trip rubbed off onto them. During the difficult process of packing the things they would be bringing on the trip, I was always certain to brief them on where we would be going and how many cool things we could anticipate experiencing on the way. Once I had made sure that they simply could not wait to leave for the trip, it was time to go and the easy part was over.
A typical day on a canoe trip consisted of approximately five hours of travel. Keeping the camper in the front of the boat paddling and the one in the middle happy and still (the latter of which is very important in maintaining an upright canoe) posed a great challenge for the entire day. My job was, like before, to make sure that my good attitude passed on to the boys. While sitting in the rear of the boat and paddling, I constantly kept up conversation, thought of games to occupy our minds, and generally made sure they did not have time to think about how tired their arms were or how long they had been sitting on hard aluminum.
Once we reached our destination, we were happy to rest our arms but also faced a new array of tasks and challenges to morale. It was my job to ensure that our campsite was set up correctly, which required a good deal of work from everyone on the trip. I found a number of successful techniques to motivate the boys to do what needed to be done, e.g. gathering firewood and setting up tents. From keeping a generally upbeat approach to what could have been viewed as drudgery to reminding them of the delicious meal I was about to cook, I was always successful in motivating them.
I do not look lightly on the accomplishment of leading six boys on a multiple-night camping trip, making it successful and safe, and helping them enjoy it. The success of the trips depended in large part on the actions of the campers. I am proud to say I motivated them to take those actions.
So whaddya think? Would you read a book full of camp stories written by me? Please, please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Even if you think it sucks. Especially if you think it sucks. I'm serious about this book and I need encouragement/ a reality check. Let me hear it!
Also, check this out. You might have to watch a dogfood commercial first, but it's totally worth it! The bird talks! I like "excited" and "evil" the best, I think. But I love the video.
Go Blue.
