Drowning
Call Me "Director"
I am coordinating our church's Vacation Bible School. This is my third consecutive year to direct this program, and consequently, I have a fairly solid staff of repeat volunteers. However, working with volunteers is almost amusing and sometimes frustrating. I called a volunteer from last year and asked if she'd be available to assist this year. She said, "Yes, I would, but I really don't want to work with a group of children." Well, hello!? That's kind of what we do.
I did understand what she meant, though. She wanted to teach, not interact on a one-on-one as a crew leader. I suggested she be the preschool craft director and voila! A happy volunteer.
I do find I move through stages of organizing in a fairly predictable steps. The first step is: "Oh no, why did I agree to do this?" That's quickly followed by: "This is going to be a disaster! No one is going to participate! No one is going to help!" Then, my final step: "Only three weeks and this will all be over, no matter what!"
I'm on the final step. Three weeks and this whole thing will be just a memory. We'll probably have 100 children participate and 30+ volunteers when it's all said and done.
The Pool
This afternoon, we went to the pool. Some family friends joined us--mom, dad and two boys, ages 4 and 2 and a half. I got into the pool with Babygirl and watched as they plopped their littlest boy into the pool, too. Both mom and dad sat near the pool, chatting and half-heartedly watching.
Then, mom says, "Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, NOLAN!" When she first started hello-ing, I looked around toward her, then when she yelled Nolan's name, I looked back to the pool and saw him floating, face down, about six feet from me. I scrambled to get my feet under me so I could reach him, but before I could, his dad crashed into the water and snatched him up. Nolan was fine, but cautious and after that, his mom put his life-jacket on him. I thought, I would never have put him in this pool alone. I am a much better mother, even though she looks so much better in a swimsuit than I do.
Wouldn't you know it, just awhile later, right in front of me, as I watched, Babygirl suddenly capsized and sank like a rock. I plucked her out of the water and she sputtered, wide-eyed, like she'd seen a mermaid in those twelve inches of water. I said, "You went underwater. Are you okay?" And she coughed a bit, and said, "Unner, wa-wa." And then touched her head. "Hair. Wet." She was nonplussed. Later in the afternoon, she lost her footing again while she was hopping and she dunked herself entirely again. I stood her on her feet and she choked and did that barky kind of seal-cough and then she was fine.
The only thing worse than a child being terrified of the water is a child who is not at all terrified of the water. They are both in danger of drowning without a sound if you look away for one second.
For that matter, that's how I feel about coordinating VBS . . . in danger of drowning without a sound. In three weeks it will be all over. I can do this. I can. I can.
I am coordinating our church's Vacation Bible School. This is my third consecutive year to direct this program, and consequently, I have a fairly solid staff of repeat volunteers. However, working with volunteers is almost amusing and sometimes frustrating. I called a volunteer from last year and asked if she'd be available to assist this year. She said, "Yes, I would, but I really don't want to work with a group of children." Well, hello!? That's kind of what we do.
I did understand what she meant, though. She wanted to teach, not interact on a one-on-one as a crew leader. I suggested she be the preschool craft director and voila! A happy volunteer.
I do find I move through stages of organizing in a fairly predictable steps. The first step is: "Oh no, why did I agree to do this?" That's quickly followed by: "This is going to be a disaster! No one is going to participate! No one is going to help!" Then, my final step: "Only three weeks and this will all be over, no matter what!"
I'm on the final step. Three weeks and this whole thing will be just a memory. We'll probably have 100 children participate and 30+ volunteers when it's all said and done.
The Pool
This afternoon, we went to the pool. Some family friends joined us--mom, dad and two boys, ages 4 and 2 and a half. I got into the pool with Babygirl and watched as they plopped their littlest boy into the pool, too. Both mom and dad sat near the pool, chatting and half-heartedly watching.
Then, mom says, "Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, NOLAN!" When she first started hello-ing, I looked around toward her, then when she yelled Nolan's name, I looked back to the pool and saw him floating, face down, about six feet from me. I scrambled to get my feet under me so I could reach him, but before I could, his dad crashed into the water and snatched him up. Nolan was fine, but cautious and after that, his mom put his life-jacket on him. I thought, I would never have put him in this pool alone. I am a much better mother, even though she looks so much better in a swimsuit than I do.
Wouldn't you know it, just awhile later, right in front of me, as I watched, Babygirl suddenly capsized and sank like a rock. I plucked her out of the water and she sputtered, wide-eyed, like she'd seen a mermaid in those twelve inches of water. I said, "You went underwater. Are you okay?" And she coughed a bit, and said, "Unner, wa-wa." And then touched her head. "Hair. Wet." She was nonplussed. Later in the afternoon, she lost her footing again while she was hopping and she dunked herself entirely again. I stood her on her feet and she choked and did that barky kind of seal-cough and then she was fine.
The only thing worse than a child being terrified of the water is a child who is not at all terrified of the water. They are both in danger of drowning without a sound if you look away for one second.
For that matter, that's how I feel about coordinating VBS . . . in danger of drowning without a sound. In three weeks it will be all over. I can do this. I can. I can.
posted by Melodee at Sunday, June 27, 2004
2 Comments:
:::Strapping on a life jacket for Mel::: Kudo's to you for taking on the challenge.... I have volunteer-itis, avoid it like the plague. Sounds like VBS will be a success. As happy as I am that summer is here, our pool is a HUGE concern this year.... truly only takes a second for a small child to be in trouble in the water. ~~Michelle aka s0ngbird1962
I worry constantly about kids swimming...Like in your stories, adults can be right there, and there can still be trouble...
I'm sure that your VBS will go well. I'm sure the work will all be worth it...I know it is the kind of thing that is nice to look back on, instead of being in the middle of....If you start to go under, splash and scream a lot!!
~Tina
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