Jul 6 2007

The fear

Have I mentioned that I am going to girls camp? Me, the ever so outdoorsie, practically living in the wild as it is girl.

I am the girl who does not camp. I stay in cheap motels near campgrounds.

Last year, I woke up early at girls camp, or couldn’t sleep, one or the other. I was up trying to light a fire. I was there for about an hour with a box of matches, what I gathered of small branches and pine needles and could not get it to light. Half a box of matches later I gave up.

That is me. Partially in charge of 25ish girls and leaders. Have I mentioned my irrational fear of the outdoors, and the recent death of an 11-year old boy by bear mauling and all the bear sightings that have closed down campgrounds near where we will be camping? And did I mention that my irrational fear may actually be rational.

The leaders of the camp had a meeting tonight. Going over the last details. The bears came up. Now it is 1:30 in the morning and I am terrified out of my mind and researching pepper spray for bears and the proper fetal position to assume when a bear attacks. There is a bit of terror here in bed with me, the kind that makes it impossible to get out of bed and go potty.

I guess this is where Wayne’s World comes in. Hopefully, the dull mumbling of jj’s favorite high school movie can erase the fear out of me for the evening so that I may get some sleep tonight.

Here’s to ceiling mounted Red Vine dispensers.